Treasure Planet: Jim and Carina's Adventure
by girl-who-flies-with-dragons
Summary: ADOPTED FROM AyBenelli. Jim and Carina were the best of friends until she was forced to move away. Years later they both end up on the same ship—one with a special map and the other with a secret identity. Carina is torn between telling her friend the truth and staying safe; and things only become more complicated when she realizes her feelings towards Jim have changed...
1. The First Solar Surfer

**The First Solar Surfer**

"So you just plug this in here and…" with a loud cough the solar surfer's engine came to life, and only Jim's quick reflexes prevented it from taking off and smashing into the living room wall. Carina let out a soft whistle and looked at her friend with wide gray eyes. "How do you even know all this stuff? I mean, that mini-solar ship you helped me build last year was pretty great, but this…" she tilted her head, trying to take in the complexity of the machine, but her vision was obscured by the cloud of dark curly brown hair that fell into her eyes. Carina pushed it back absently.

Jim shrugged. "I read the books Dad sometimes brings home from his trips." His eyes suddenly lit up with excitement. "He promised me that next time, he's going to get me a _real working model spaceship_. One that _flies_ and everything, so I can understand how they work." Carina didn't comment, even at the age of 7 she knew that the chances of Jim's father actually fulfilling a promise were slim to none.

"Can you even ride that thing?" she asked after another moment of machine-inspection, with a laugh that she hoped _sounded_ more genuine than it felt. He flushed slightly. "Well…I know the theory, I was going to try it out today. Want to come with me?" Grinning, Carina nodded and the two quickly took hold of the solar surfer, preparing to take it through the kitchen and out the back door.

"James Pleiades Hawkins!"

"Uh oh." Jim and Carina turned towards the front door, each smiling and trying their best to look innocent despite the solar surfer in their hands and the engine grease covering their clothes. Sarah Hawkins put her grocery bags on the counter by the kitchen and stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at the two children. "Where in the Etherium did you get _that_?" she demanded of her son. "Um…" Jim looked at the floor, and Carina replied, "Jim built it Mrs. Hawkins". Sarah's glare faltered. "He…what?" She looked at her son with a mixed expression of pride and disbelief. "You _built_ this Jim? By yourself? Out of what?" Flushing, Jim shifted his gaze sideways and glared at Carina, speaking carefully. "Well… I mean, I know that I'm not supposed to go to the scrap yard without you, but I thought that…well, Mr. Darly said I could use some of the old engine parts for free. So I thought it would be okay…" he trailed off with a hopeful look.

Sarah just continued staring at her son. She knew he was smart, _but he only just turned 8!_ "Wait, you built a solar surfer out of _broken_ parts?" Seeing that he was probably going to get out of this without punishment, Jim started to smile at his mother. Unfortunately, Carina chose that moment to say something else. "Sorry about the carpet Mrs. Hawkins." There was a pause as Sarah turned to look at the oil-covered carpet beneath the children's feet. Jim barely had time to wince before Sarah exploded.

"JAMES!"

With a scream of terror, the two inventors fled the living room, solar surfer in hand. It was almost 15 minutes before they had managed to carry the large vehicle all the way to the start of the canyons, even with imminent death at the hands of Sarah to motivate them. By the time they arrived they had added a fair amount of sweat to the grime and oil on their clothes, skin, and hair. Wheezing, they dropped their solar surfer and collapsed to the ground.

"You _had_ to mention the carpet!" Jim scolded once he had gotten his breath back. "Well it was _your_ idea to build it in the living room in the first place!" Jim laughed, "Okay, yeah that was a bad idea. Anyway." He stood up and grinned at Carina. "Shall we ride it?" Carina surveyed the vehicle a little apprehensively. "I dunno…neither of us knows how, and my Ma says these things are dangerous."

"Well, I'll try first then, and check that it's safe for _girls_." Flushing angrily, Carina opened her mouth to retort, but Jim was already moving. With a slight stumble and a few hiccoughs, he was on the surfer with the engine roaring. Less than a minute later he had taken off down the canyon. Carina watched in awe as Jim vanished from her sight before reappearing from behind a large boulder, but she paled when she saw him speed towards the cliff's edge. _Turn_ , she thought, biting her lip. "Jim, TURN!" she screamed as he shot back up the other side of the canyon and turned back towards her. Three seconds later he had the solar surfer parked safely next to Carina, half jumping half falling onto the solid ground. Carina punched him. "Don't. Ever. Do that again—" But Jim was grinning, and his eyes sparkled. "Are you _kidding_?" he demanded, "that was the best thing ever!"

"—without me!"


	2. Pandries and Pandemonium

**Pandries and Pandemonium**

Carina raced to the canyon entrance with Jim as they had every day after school for the last month. Carina loved being with Jim, but she wasn't keen on going home either. Her seeming incapability of getting through to or acknowledged by her parents had worsened recently, resulting in her spending more time at Jim's house than her own. Jim didn't fully understand what was going on, but he didn't mind spending all his time with Carina. Once again they were riding double on their solar surfer, making their way carefully through the canyons and avoiding the restricted areas—even though that was the more exciting route. When they returned home Sarah barraged them with the usual questions about school, until Jim interrupted with his dinner request.

"Mom…" Jim put on his best begging face. "Can we have fried pandries? Please?" Putting down the dough she was kneading, Sarah turned to her son with a mock-surprised expression. "We've had fried pandries for dinner every night this _week,_ " her face twitching into a smile despite her best efforts. "But, you see Mom…" Jim wheedled as he put an arm around Carina's shoulders, "…they're Carina's favorite food. And she is a _guest_ too, sooo…" he trailed off with a wide grin. Carina snorted and elbowed him. "If I'm a "guest" then why did you make me help you wash the dishes, sweep the floor, take out the garbage, build that—" she stopped abruptly and coughed, hoping that Sarah hadn't noticed her reference to Jim's latest, _secret_ invention. Jim stomped on her foot all the while smiling innocently at his mother, who had an eyebrow raised and was looking at them suspiciously.

"So, can we have fried pandries Mom?" Sarah laughed and waved the children out of the kitchen. "How's this? You clean up your room and I'll make fried pandries _again_ today." Jim and Carina squealed with excitement and bounded up the stairs to Jim's room. Chuckling, Sarah picked up the dough again and turned to the stove where eight large pandries were already sizzling away.

It only took about three minutes before an explosion and two sets of screams had Sarah hurriedly turning off the stove and sprinting up the stairs. Flinging open the door she stared inside, coughing and waving away the black smoke that was billowing out. "Jim", cough, "Carina, are you alright?" "We're okay!" both children called out from what Sarah realized was the bed. "What happened?" As the smoke cleared, Sarah saw that nearly everything was covered in soot and there was a plate-sized red disk lying in the middle of the wooden floor. "I _told_ him not to do it" came Carina's voice. There was a scuffling sound, followed by a loud "Ow! Jim!" "You're the one who messed it up!" Jim countered. "Was not!" "Was too!" "Was not!" "Was t—"

"Okay, okay!" Sarah broke in. She sighed and peered under the bed at the two soot-covered children. They looked back at her with their best innocent smiles. Sarah rolled her eyes. "Just come out and tell me what happened." Jim crawled out first. "Well…" Jim stopped with an "ooff" as Carina used him to help herself stand up. "Jim was…" Said boy elbowed her again, and Carina retaliated by stamping on his foot. Both of them kept their too-big smiles plastered to their faces. "It's just a new invention! We only wanted to see if it would work!" both children blurted out. With a groan, Sarah headed back towards the kitchen. "Never mind, I don't even want to know. Just get this room cleaned up!"


	3. The Parting and the Promise

**The Parting and The Promise**

"JIM!" The front door burst open and Carina ran inside, tears streaming down her face. She didn't bother to close the door or respond to Sarah's alarmed exclamation at the sight of her in such a state. Instead, Carina went straight up the stairs to Jim's bedroom and pounded on the door. "Jim!" It's me! Open up!" Two seconds later Jim threw open the door, the bed behind him littered with the sketchbooks and engineering magazines he was using to design a better solar surfer than the first one they had ridden over two years ago. Jim's eyes widened when he saw Carina's red, tear-stained face. "What…" Carina pushed past him and flung herself onto his bed, uncaring about the clutter. "I'm leaving!" she sobbed, burying her face in her hands.

Jim remained rooted near the door and stared at his best friend, completely bewildered. "What do you mean? Leaving for where?"

"Mama and Papa said we are moving to Endrane! And they're going to send me to a girls' school to become a _lady_ , and then when I am old enough I'll have to get married!" Carina wailed. "I don't _want_ to go to that stupid school, I want to stay here and build things and fly into space with you!" The blood drained out of Jim's face as he walked quickly back to the bed. "What! You can't leave! Endrane is…is…" he faltered, waving his arms in exasperation, "…weeks away from here! I'll—I'll never see you again" he whispered.

"I _know_!" Carina glared at Jim, but he knew she wasn't angry with him. "But Papa says we are leaving in two weeks, and that's final!" Carina curled up on the bed and sniffled. Jim felt a little awkward, standing there watching his best friend—and partner in crime—crying on his bed. He moved some books, then sat next to her carefully. "It's okay." Carina continued sobbing, and Jim bit his lip, feeling useless. Then he smiled suddenly. "I mean, I'll come and get you!" he told Carina. "Endrane is on an important shipping route, I'll get Dad to let me be a cabin boy on one of his trips and I am sure we would have to dock there at some point or another." Carina looked at Jim cautiously. "Do you think he'll let you?" she asked in a hopeful voice. Jim nodded enthusiastically while bouncing slightly on his bed. He was completely committed to his offer and for the moment ignoring the many holes in his plan. "Sure, once I prove that I can be useful on a ship! It might take a year or two, but I'll _definitely_ come." He stuck out his hand to shake on it. "I promise. Then I'll break you out of that stupid school and we'll sail space together!" Carina's face lit up with a smile, and she flung herself onto Jim in a tight hug. "Promise me you won't forget, promise you'll come get me and we'll go on adventures together?"

"I promise."

It had been three months since Jim waved goodbye to Carina and her parents as they boarded the grimy sky ferry for the first part of their journey to Endrane. He remembered the tears Carina was desperately trying to hold back, and his constant need to "brush the dust out of his eyes". The pain was a dull ache now, marked by brief moments of forgetting until something or some plan triggered his thoughts of her. _I wonder how she is managing at that school? I hope her parents are being nice to her. Does she have friends there now? What if she's forgotten all about me?_

Without Carina he was restless, and didn't enjoy building things or going solar surfing when his mom wasn't looking quite as much as he used to. Then, his father left and Jim's main hope for seeing Carina again shattered, not to mention his family life. Over the years he became withdrawn and reckless, a compass without a needle; but he never forgot his curly-haired friend and the promise he'd made to her. He just didn't know how to fulfill it.

Carina was brokenhearted upon leaving her best friend and the only home she had ever known. Her one reassurance was the serious look in Jim's eyes as she boarded the ferry and his promise to come and get her. She adjusted to her new life slowly, making a few friends at the school that surpassed hers and Jims' speculations of its boredom, but she was unattached to staying with them on Endrane. Carina barely spoke with her parents, and though it was clear they were happy about the move they seemed unaware of Carina's grief and her steady process of distancing herself and dreaming only of returning to Montressor. Every night, Carina would look at the sky and find the Pleiades sparkling far away in the Etherium. She would gaze at her lucky stars and hope that Jim was on his way to get her. _He wouldn't forget would he? After all, he promised_.

But as the years went by with no sign of him, Carina chided herself for placing her hopes in the promises of a child. Maybe she didn't mean as much to him as she'd thought, given that they _were_ little. Though Carina never really forgot about Jim, she turned away from the stars as she grew up, locking up her emotions and maintaining the façade of the dutiful daughter. During her final years at the ladies' school she laid the groundwork for her plan to finally be free and sail through the Etherium—the escape she knew she'd have to orchestrate on her own.


	4. Carina's Flight

**Carina's Flight**

 _This is it, I'm finally leaving_. Slinging her backpack over one shoulder, Carina glanced back at the dorm room where she'd lived for most of the last 7 years. It was exactly what you would expect to find at a girls' finishing school: petite, tidy, frilly, and a revolting shade of pink. Her roommate, fortunately, was a heavy sleeper and her eyes remained closed as Carina slipped out the door. The red-head's sleeping habits had been vital to Carina's ability to sneak out each weekend in men's clothes and earn the money necessary for her escape.

Carina gagged as she thought of the shady bar where she had worked for two years and it's vulgar patrons. But as the sole late-night establishment relatively near the school it was her only choice for honest employment as a girl whose school forbade its students to work on anything besides their studies. _Well, it was worth it_. There was absolutely no way Carina was going to meekly learn to sew, cook, and dance until she graduated and her parents could marry her off to the highest bidder. They meant well, but growing up with parents who never took her desires into consideration was stifling. She couldn't wait to be permanently out of their clutches, and now she finally had enough money to support herself until she could get proper work on a ship…even if she had to do it alone. The thought made her frown, but she quickly shook it off. She reminded herself that the friendship and promises of a 10 year old had no place in the life of a young woman.

Carina double-checked her disguise as best as she could in the dark. A tight breast band, men's trousers—those had been hard to get, a baggy long-sleeved shirt, and a rundown jacket. In addition to her recently cropped hair, Carina knew from her work experience that she looked just like a boy, if a rather small, feminine one. When she finally got outside the building the air was hot even though it was so early that the streets were nearly empty. She knew she had to get off Endrane immediately or her parents would be able to track her down.

She went to the port she had previously scouted, searching for a ship that seemed ready for departure. There was one small, depressing-looking vessel with a crew scuttling about, and a huge cyborg barking orders. Since it would probably take several tries to get hired as a cabin boy Carina took a deep breath and strode over despite her fear, telling herself to look confident. The cyborg man turned towards her with a frown as she drew near.

"What?" he barked.

"Sir," Carina stood tall and lowered her voice to what she hoped would pass for a young man's "I would like to join your crew as a cabin boy, sir." To her surprise, a flicker of a smile passed over the captain's face. "And what makes ya think I could use the help of a wee lad like you?" Carina set her jaw. "Sir, I work hard and I learn fast. I don't even need wages."

"Ah, I see. So yer runnin' away are ya?" he softened his tone slightly, keeping it low enough so that only Carina could hear. "Just looking for passage out of Endrane sir…" she faltered. "Preferably without traceable papers generated by paying for passage as a guest." The cyborg scrutinized her carefully. "I hope ya know something about the _workings_ of a ship at least, lad," he growled. Carina nodded eagerly, "Yes sir, I am well versed in most aspects of running a space vessel." Carina saw no reason to tell the captain that her knowledge was almost entirely theoretical. _Thank goodness I spent all of those hours studying at night, even if it made me exhausted for my "proper" classes during the day._ "Well, we needed a cabin boy. Best get to work with ya, lad! And by the way, what's yer name?" Carina cursed herself inwardly for not coming up with one beforehand. "I'm James…er…James Lucas." She groaned inwardly, _why did I have to use the name James?_ Luckily, Silver didn't seem to notice her moment of hesitation in producing a last name, as he was already booming out a list of things for her to do.


	5. The Past Comes to Visit

**The Past Comes to Visit**

"Lucas! Is everything secure in the galley?" Carina scanned the kitchen again to be sure that nothing could fall. "Yes sir!" Heavy footsteps sounded as Silver came down the stairs. "Good lad" he smiled, something Carina had never thought would become a habit when she first met the gruff captain. "Now don't slack off Lucas, ya hear? I have no qualms about leaving yeh at the next port if ya don't pull yer weight." Carina rolled her eyes slightly, another member of the crew—a spider-psycho named Scroop—already pestered her enough about being useless. "Yes sir. Which port are we coming into?" Carina had been scurrying around so much during the past 5 weeks that she'd hardly paid attention to where they were even going or what their next job was.

"Montressor spaceport, lad. The mining planet" Silver called as he left. Carina froze, breathing hard. Montressor? _Montressor?_ _Jim must be down there_ she realized, emotions that she'd buried away for years swirling to the surface again. _I could leave, go down to Montressor and find Jim, I'd be home again_ Carina thought. No, _no_. _You haven't seen him in 7 years, and Silver is a good captain, a good man, though he tries to hide it. Even if his crew is unpleasant, I don't want to risk having to join another crew with a terrible captain or worse, have my identity discovered._ Besides, knowing Silver they wouldn't be here very long and then she'd be far away again _._ Carina sighed and tried to tell herself that staying aboard was for the best.

"What do you mean you're going to be the cook?" Carina gaped at Silver. _Had he gone insane?_ "Ya heard me Lucas," Silver replied firmly, "and I don't want another word outta yeh about it. _Especially_ in front of our new _captain_." "But—" "No buts. You'll still be cooking, just you'll be doing it here with me." He smiled. "Ya outta be happy about gettin' an extra set of hands. I'm not half bad at the job meself." Carina knew better than to protest, even though she was totally confused. "Alright." She turned to look at the most magnificent ship she'd ever seen. It was enormous, with a sleek wooden hull, three masts, and four thrusters at the stern to propel them through the Etherium. Like most space vessels, it used solar power drawn from its many sails, and Carina thought that such a well-crafted vessel could surely traverse the entire galaxy. "So this is the R.L.S Legacy. It's so shiny and beautiful." Silver let out a chuckle and clapped her shoulder. "Indeed it is. Let's get aboard before the crew thinks I've turned 'em loose." Carina followed Silver onto the deck, but when Silver headed down to the galley she was immediately cornered by Scroop. "I see you're ssstill with usss" the spider alien sneered. Carina tried her usual tactic of not responding and keeping her head low. Unfortunately, Scroop grabbed her. "I should get rid of you now, before you get in the way." "What…what are you talking about?" Carina gasped. "I only do what Silver tells me, you know that!"

"What's going on?" Glancing up, Carina saw a large rock-alien thundering towards them, making Scroop narrow his beady eyes. "It's none of your businessss," he hissed at the well-dressed alien." "There will be no fighting on the Captain's ship!" the rock man bellowed. _Ah, this must be Arrow, Silver told us about Captain Amelia and her First Officer Arrow_. Scroop obviously came to the same conclusion since he released his grip on Carina, muttering furiously as he walked away. Apparently feeling his duty was done, Arrow moved on, leaving Carina to rub her bruised arm and sigh as she headed back to work.

They toiled well into the afternoon before Silver gave Carina a break, telling her it would be her last chance to relax for a long while. Carina happily abandoned potato peeling and bounded up the stairs to witness the thrill of a ship taking off. She had only been in the rigging for a few minutes when she saw two strangers boarding, a dog-like alien in a ridiculous yellow metal suit and a… boy about her age. _Young man, whatever,_ Carina mentally chided her former etiquette teacher. _He looks familiar…_ though if she'd ever seen a guy with a hoop earring and such a unique hairstyle she was pretty sure she would have remembered him. _Not that it looked bad on him_. Shaking her head, Carina leaned forward trying to catch the conversation they were having with Arrow.

A moment later a well-dressed feline-woman appeared in front of the little group to take command of the introductions. _Ah, this must be Captain Amelia_ , Carina thought. _She certainly seems very confident_. Carina smothered a laugh as the Captain briskly fixed the dog-man's suit, to his chagrin. Both he and the boy obviously weren't used to space travel, judging from their expressions of wonder and delight. The dog-man— _Dr. Doppler? Wait a minute_ —proceeded to interrupt the Captain and Arrow "…lovely banter. But may I introduce Jim Hawkins…Jim, you see, is the boy who found the treasure—" _What!_ Carina's head started to spin. _What did he just say?_ Hearing his name had taken her by such surprise that she'd failed to register Dr. Doppler's careless comment about treasure. Captain Amelia cut Dr. Doppler off and led the group away, presumably to her office. Carina stared at the retreating boy, hands gripping the ropes until her knuckles gleamed white and she was shaking. _Jim Hawkins?_ Mouth dry and heart pounding, Carina turned away to stare at the sky.

Jim was _not_ amused. He and the doctor had just finished a meeting with the prim and snooty Captain Amelia; during which the feline had taken his map and then sent Mr. Arrow to escort him down to the galley to meet the cook, Silver, who turned out to be a cyborg. 'Best of all', Jim had been designated as cabin boy, under the cyborg's charge. _Great, I only decoded the treasure map and provided a reason for this whole journey, and I get put on dish duty?_

Carina was still in the rigging half an hour later as the crew began the launch. As excited as she was about the launch, Carina couldn't stop thinking about what she'd heard. "…Jim Hawkins…here?" she muttered under her breath. _That explains why he looked so familiar_. Momentary panic seized Carina when she wondered if Jim would recognize her, but then figured he had probably completely forgotten about her. Carina told herself this sternly, trying to ignore the aching pain she felt whenever she thought about him. _We were barely 10 years old; if he remembered me at all it would be as a childhood playmate that moved away when he was still small. Just the promise of a child, you can't expect him to have followed through_. Plus, she was disguised as a boy, and he had no reason to think she was anywhere besides that dreadful school on Endrane.

Carina took a deep breath, resolving to act "normal" and not let on whom she really was. Part of her wanted to rush down there and throw her arms around Jim, but she had no evidence that he cared about her anymore. Not to mention she would give herself away to the crew in the process and probably be thrown off of the ship. As the whistle sounded to launch Carina knew she had better avoid that brown-haired solar surfing genius during the trip.

As they flew into the Etherium Carina smiled into the wind from her place on the rigging. There really was nothing so exciting as a launch. _Except for solar-surfing with Jim_. The smile slide off her face when she realized that said boy was in the rigging near her. Carina couldn't help studying him as he gaped at the _orcus galacticus_ pod floating along with them, completely unaware of her. _How she had missed him…_ She tried to slip away unnoticed, but he turned and caught sight of her.

"Oh. Hi." She stammered, then hurried "Beautiful isn't it?" Carina let her breath out as Jim turned back to the sky. "Yeah, it's incredible" he breathed. Carina turned again to leave when Silver appeared. "Jimbo!" he shouted, causing Jim to turn in surprise. "I've got two new friends I'd like yeh ta meet" Silver continued with a smirk. Jim looked around expectantly, his expression turning to disgust when Silver produced Mr. Mop and Mrs. Bucket and flung them at him. Carina giggled, surprised that he'd actually caught them, but stopped abruptly when Silver told her to help Jim. _Great_ , she thought, rolling her eyes, _just what I need, more time with Jim_.

They hadn't been mopping long before Jim started to grumble, but he was interrupted when the largest crew member knocked into him, and he saw a cluster of aliens whispering near the far railing. _Why were they whispering?_ Carina wondered. The crew stopped abruptly when they caught Jim staring, and started paying far too much attention to him. Carina wanted to slap that look off of Jim's face, _couldn't he see that he was asking for trouble?_

Apparently not, because when Scroop climbed down from the rigging and told the boy to mind his own business Jim countered "Why? You got something to hide, bright eyes?" Scroop's snarl turned her stomach to lead, and before Carina could even think Scroop had picked Jim up by the collar with one giant claw. Breathing into the squirming boy's face, Scroop inquired about the health of his ears, to which Jim mouthed off "Yeah, too bad my nose works just fine!", making Carina let out a horrified gasp. This was _not_ Jim Hawkins; this was Jim-I-don't-give-a-shit-Hawkins. The boy she knew had definitely been a bit of a smarty-pants, but he'd never gone _looking_ for trouble. _How else had he changed?_

Carina launched herself at Scroop just as he slammed Jim into the mast, holding the struggling boy by the neck and cutting off his air. She jumped on Scroop's arm, but the large alien easily back-handed her to the floor. "I should kill you too." "Any last words, cabin boy?" Scroop snarled as he extended a sharp claw towards Jim's neck. Carina struggled to her feet just as Silver arrived and clamped down on Scroop's wrist. "Mr. Scroop," he said calmly, "you ever see what happens to a fresh purp when you squeeze _real_ , _hard_?" Silver finished, twisting Scroop's arm painfully. Carina let her breath out as Scroop dropped Jim, and Arrow came down the stairs to break things up. As the crew dispersed Carina looked Jim over for injuries, wincing over her own bruises. Suddenly Silver loomed in front of them. "I gave you two a job!" Jim and Carina protested in unison, but Silver brushed them off. "Now I want this deck swabbed spotless, and heaven help yeh if I come back and it's not done!" and he left them with their buckets and Morph-the-giant-eyeballs watching them.

They worked in silence, Carina still fuming about Jim's brazen comments that had gotten them into so much trouble. A few moments passed before Jim interrupted her thoughts. "So, I never caught your name." "It's Lucas." "You got a last name?" Jim asked. "Lucas." He laughed softly, "Lucas Lucas?" Blushing, Carina turned away, "Uh, no. It's James Lucas." Jim smiled, "Hey, we've got the same first name!" Carina mumbled something unintelligible, hoping they could go back to silence.

"So what do you know about this Silver guy?" Jim inquired. _Silver? Why was Jim interested in Silver?_ "Uh, not much, only been working with him for a few weeks now. He seems nice enough." Jim seemed disappointed with her lack of information, though she couldn't imagine why. "Why do you want to know?" Carina grimaced inwardly at her question; she was supposed to be distancing herself from Jim, not initiating conversations! "No reason." Jim never was a good liar. She dared to look up at him, it was clear _something_ was bothering him, he had the same facial expression as when they were kids and having difficulty with a new project. _He'll figure it out…Jim always does…_ Carina groaned and cursed under her breath, her vocabulary quite colorful from working with spacers for over a month. She shouldn't be making presumptions about this boy, almost a man. People changed. Maybe he wasn't a genius; maybe her memories of him were glorified. She swore again, louder this time.

"Are you okay?" Jim asked. Reflexively, Carina looked up and glared at him. It was the first time they had actually looked at each other properly; too late, she realized her mistake as Jim's eyes widened. Carina quickly tried to turn away but he grabbed her shoulder. "Do I know you from somewhere?" Keeping her eyes firmly on the ground, Carina struggled to sound casual. "Nah, you couldn't possibly." Her voice cracked, she felt so ashamed to be lying to him. Grabbing her bucket, she mumbled about swabbing the upper deck and walked off as quickly as she could.


	6. Misconceptions

**Misconceptions**

The upper deck was smaller than the lower, so Carina finished mopping before Jim. Unfortunately, this left her alone with a rumbling stomach—and her thoughts. Jim should've known better than to insult Scroop, and Carina was still upset with him, but that didn't mean she wanted him to get beaten up. Her thoughts drifted to the first time Jim had protected her—and gotten in huge trouble—making Carina feel ashamed that she'd failed to return the favor earlier.

 _It was the first day she and Jim had been allowed to walk to school on their own, and they'd been laughing and talking the whole way. They had just reached the grounds when they ran into a couple of boys who taunted Carina occasionally. As so often happens, they didn't really have or need a reason. The boys had started up their usual teasing, making Jim quite upset. "Just leave her alone!" It wasn't until they started touching Carina and pulling her hair though that Jim snapped. He punched one boy and tackled another, Carina got in a few good hits herself before being pushed to the ground; but it was mostly Jim pounding on the bullies, who left in a hurry when the bell rang. Carina rushed over to Jim and helped him up, biting her lip when she saw the marks on his face. She felt terrible that he'd been hurt on her account, and told him as much. Jim didn't share her viewpoint, "That's what friends are for." But boy did the teachers and his mother have a fit later. Jim was not happy about being grounded, though he said it was a small price to pay for teaching those bullies to leave his best friend alone._

She dumped the dirty water overboard with a sigh, then sat down and quietly watched Jim. He was talking to Morph about Scroop, the little shape-shifter eagerly turning into hideous versions of the "spider-psycho"; making Carina's shoulders shake with suppressed laughter as Jim chuckled. Then he changed the subject. "But that Lucas…why does he look so familiar?" Morph obligingly turned into a miniature Lucas; thin with short curly brown hair and big gray eyes. Carina cringed at how feminine she looked even in boy's clothes, and watched with quiet desperation as Jim closely inspected "her", trying to figure out why "he" seemed familiar.

Carina could have kissed Silver when the old cyborg clopped up the stairs and tossed the kitchen scraps overboard. "Thank heavens for little miracles. Up here for an hour and the deck's still in one piece."

"Hey, I resent that! It's not like I've never swabbed a deck before!" Carina called down the stairs indignantly. Silver laughed, "So I suppose I can blame Jimbo's bad influence on yer recent trouble making then?" The disguised girl made her way down to them, the picture of innocence. "Of course." Silver laughed again, but Jim remained downcast. "Look…I um…" he faltered. Carina and Silver turned towards the boy. "What you did back there…thanks. Both of you." Carina smiled faintly, and Silver asked, "Didn't yer pap ever teach yeh ta pick yer fights a little more carefully?" Carina looked away. _Speaking of Jim's father…_ Her dislike of the man was somehow intertwined with the pain his son had caused her. She didn't notice that Jim had failed to reply until Silver continued to speak. "Your father not the teaching sort."

"No." Carina snapped her gaze back to Jim. _Where had that bitterness come from?_ She thought that Jim loved his father; certainly he had admired him far more than the man deserved. But the cabin boy's voice was hard. "He was more the taking off and, never coming back… sort." Carina grabbed the rigging to hide her sudden dizziness, staring at Jim as he leaned against the railing. "Oooh." Silver moved to stand next to him. "Sorry lad." "Hey, no big deal" Jim said brashly. _He was such a terrible liar_. "I'm doing just fine…I just wish I could have gone to help—" he stopped abruptly. "Help who?" Silver inquired. Jim just shook his head. "Doesn't matter. She's probably forgotten about me by now anyways." Carina clung to the rigging, stunned. Silver eyed the boy. "Is that so?"

There was a pause. "Well!" The cyborg suddenly sounded pleased with himself, which was usually a bad sign. "Since the Captain has put yeh in my charge like it or not I'll be poundin' a few skills into that thick head of yours to keep ya outta trouble." "What!" Jim gasped, but Silver was on a roll. "From now on, I'm not lettin' ya outta me sight!" Swiftly, he rounded on Carina standing nearby, ashen-faced and trembling. "Either of ya!" he bellowed. "You can't—" Jim started to protest. "You won't so much as eat, sleep, or scratch yer _bum_ without my say so!" Silver finished with a dramatic pound of his huge fist. "Don't do me any favors!" Jim retorted angrily. "Oh, you can be sure of that, my boy." Silver said smugly, tapping Jim's chest. "You can be sure of that."

It wasn't until Silver shooed them off to bed and Jim mumbled goodnight to her that Carina realized the hammock he was using was directly opposite her own. She lay there long after her "fellow" cabin boy started to snore softly, her mind racing. _His father left…he COULDN'T come for me…he didn't forget…he still cared._


	7. Arguments and Inconvenient Thoughts

**Arguments and Inconvenient Thoughts**

For the next few days Carina was unusually quiet and doing her best to avoid Jim without being obvious. Which Silver pretty much made impossible. "Mornin' Lucas." Silver greeted her on their fourth day. "You, me, and Jimbo are gonna be cooking together, and later I think I'm gonna teach you pups how to de-barnacle the bottom of the ship." Carina frowned. "What, am I going to do _everything_ with Jim now?" Silver laughed, "It's my job to keep you both outta trouble. Got a problem with that lad?" _YES_ , her mind shouted, but Carina dutifully shook her head and said "No sir." _There ISN'T,_ she told herself. Silver looked at her thoughtfully. "Alright then, go wake up this Jimbo of ours while I get started on the porridge."

Carina stomped inside the sleeping quarters, earning numerous complaints and swearwords from the half-asleep crew. She ignored them and strode briskly towards Jim's hammock. "Jim." She said firmly. He didn't move. Rolling her eyes, Carina grabbed his shoulder and yelled his name. "Carina …" Jim mumbled and turned over. Said girl jumped back as though she'd been burned, then realized he was still asleep. _Oh, that's it_. "JIM!" Carina bellowed, turning his hammock over and flinging him onto the floor. "GET UP!" Jim woke in a thrashing, disoriented heap, yelling at Carina as he stood. "What was that for Car-Lucas!" he corrected himself. Carina felt another headache coming on as she shouted back at Jim. "It's time to get up!" "Well you didn't have to overturn my hammock!" "I already TRIED waking you up the nice way!" "Not very hard!" "Just—get to the kitchen, Silver's waiting!" Carina growled in annoyance as she turned and thundered back out of the sleeping quarters, trying not to feel panicked that Jim had said her name. Twice.

When she arrived back in the galley she informed Silver that Jim was on his way. "I figured. I could hear the two of ya having a shoutin' match from all the way in here." Silver said. The curly-haired girl flushed, "He was proving difficult to wake up the nice way, sir." Just then Jim entered the kitchen, grumbling, "Not that Lucas actually tried very hard." "How would you know?" Carina demanded, "You were _asleep_." Jim mumbled something and both teens turned away to peel potatoes in angry silence while Silver chuckled and stirred the porridge.

After preparing a mountain of potatoes Silver finally gave them two big bowls of porridge and left to deliver breakfast to the remaining crew, muttering much too eagerly about chisels and barnacles. Carina dug in, then noticed that Jim hadn't touched his food. "You know, Silver's going to be back soon to drag us off…I'd eat while you have the chance." "Yeah…" the cabin boy sighed, then half-heartedly took a bite of his porridge.

Carina wondered if something besides their argument was bothering Jim, and then wondered why she cared so much. Ever since his slip up about going to get her, the disguised girl had been battling with her feelings and how she interacted with the boy. She was glad to know that he hadn't forgotten about his promise, but she'd also spent the last few years pretending to not care about anyone. It was easier that way. "I'm sorry for waking you up like that." _Why am I apologizing?_ Jim looked up. "Well, it _was_ annoying but my mom always says I am a super heavy sleeper, so I guess it was kind of inevitable." Carina felt the tension ease, and smiled in spite of herself.

During the following week Carina found it easier to be around Jim as "Lucas", though she carefully monitored the nature of her conversations. They inevitably spent nearly all of their time together, and Carina often thought how similar those moments were to their friendship as children. Except her temper seemed much more prominent these days.

"JAMES HAWKINS! What do you think you are doing!" she shouted, making Dr. Doppler jump and Captain Amelia glance at her reproachfully. Carina barely noticed them as she marched towards the figure perched in the rigging and staring out into space. "Don't you realize that dinner finished two hours ago? Silver said to go to the crow's nest after _we_ had finished washing the dishes, and since you weren't there, I had to wash _everything_! Then when you didn't show up at the crow's nest Silver sent me all the way down again just to fetch you!" Carina informed him loudly as she drew next to the boy. Jim looked at her with a calm expression, which only made Carina bristle more. "You lazy, good for nothing!" Grabbing his ear, she began pulling him across the deck. Jim's protests were almost loud enough to drown out Dr. Doppler and Captain Amelia's laughter, but not quite.

Carina continued to rant until they ended up at the base of the main mast "…and _that_ is why no girl will ever want to go out with you!" she finished, not sure how she had come to that conclusion. The cabin boy mumbled an apology when it was evident that Carina had stopped fuming. Carina sighed, running a hand through her curls. "Apology accepted. But don't," she punched his arm "ever do that again."

They were silent for a minute before Carina realized Jim was preoccupied with something. "Are you okay?" Argh, one minute she wanted to strangle him and the next she was worried about his emotional wellbeing! She was going crazy. _Why do things have to be so much harder now than when we were kids?_ Jim just shrugged and apologized again about the dishes as they climbed up for their knot-tying lesson with Silver. A few moments into the lesson Carina was listening intently to Silver, and it wasn't until the cyborg stopped talking that she realized Jim had already made a perfect knot and slipped back down to walk along the railing. Her throat tightened as she watched him slouch away, and in that moment she wanted nothing more than to tell him who she was.


	8. Secrets, Revelations, and More Secrets

**Secrets, Revelations, and More Secrets**

Once he'd finally gotten to bed, Jim lay in his hammock that night long after the rest of the crew started snoring. His thoughts drifted to Lucas's earlier comment about girls, who Jim had never paid much attention to _that_ way, and the one girl he missed so much it hurt. Before leaving Montressor Jim had secretly used the map to examine their route to Treasure Planet in the hopes it would pass near Endrane, which it didn't. But even if it had, Jim didn't think he could bear to find Carina again only to learn that she no longer cared about him, which he thought likely. True, she had been very upset about leaving, but people change in 7 years, he was proof of that. Things could never be as they were.

Jim sighed and rolled over, which put Lucas in the hammock across from him into view. Lucas. _There is something odd about him_ , Jim thought as he watched the boy sleeping peacefully. _But despite his temper he is a good friend, the only one I've had since…_ "Jim" came Lucas's voice softly. Jim jumped, and peered more closely at the still-sleeping figure. That did NOT sound like the voice Jim was used hearing. Lucas mumbled in that voice again and moved in his sleep, sounding distressed. "Where are you Jim? Please come…I miss you." _No way._

His mind reeling, barely able to breathe, Jim got out of his hammock, reaching over cautiously and shaking Lucas's shoulder. "Hey, wake up!" Jim watched her eyes open with a jolt as she let out a confused "Jim?" before getting a momentary look of panic and dropping her voice down. "Wha-what's going on?" Jim just stared back into the big gray eyes he thought he'd never see again. "Carina," he breathed, still hardly daring to believe it. "You were talking in your sleep—your voice sounded different…you missed me." Carina trembled slightly under the hand still on her shoulder. The cabin boy started to frown, fear creeping in that he was somehow wrong. "Carina, it _is_ you…isn't it?" Her reply was so soft that Jim had to lean in to hear her shaking voice. "Yes. Yes Jim, it's me."

A look of joy lit up Jim's face such as Carina hadn't seen in years. She barely registered that he wasn't angry with her before she was enveloped in his strong arms. Letting out a quiet sob of relief, Carina threw her arms around her best friend's neck and let go of all the anxiety of the past week and a half, the last 7 years really. Over her sniffling she could hear Jim whispering how much he'd missed her, and realized with a start that his shoulders were shaking too.

After a long moment Jim pulled away, smiling through his tears as he gently dried Carina's cheeks. She was really here. "I didn't forget about coming to get you. With how things were after Dad left…it just wasn't possible. But I promise you I never forgot." Jim looked at her, silently pleading with Carina to believe him, so she put a reassuring hand on his arm. "I know."

Jim relaxed, but his features hardened a moment later as an unwelcome thought surfaced. "Why didn't you tell me? You must have known it was me the very first day." Jim felt Carina's hand retract and saw her swallow hard. "Jim…you have to understand…I spent the past 7 years not knowing if you still cared about me, not getting attached to anyone on Endrane, relying only on myself. Yes, I realized it was you the first day, yes I know what you told Silver about me, and your Dad leaving, but I was…I _am_ afraid of the crew finding out I'm a girl. I wanted to tell you _so badly_ , but I didn't want to jeopardize my place here after everything I did to escape." Jim saw tears coursing down her cheeks again as she looked away in shame. "I'm so sorry." Jim felt his anger melt away. _She had no way of knowing about my father, she had to orchestrate everything on her own while hiding her identity and working to support herself_ , _anyone would be fearful in her position,_ he thought.

He sighed. "I understand, I just wish I'd known sooner." Then he grinned, "What are the chances of us ending up on the same ship, eh?" Carina looked up with a small smile. "I'm sure Captain Amelia won't throw you off though." Carina's smile disappeared. "Wait, what do you mean _won't_ throw me off? You can't tell anyone, you still need to treat me just like Lucas!"

Jim stared at her incredulously. " _What?_ I've finally gotten you back, and you're telling me to act like nothing has changed!" "Nothing that would tip people off about me being a girl!" Jim ran his fingers through his hair agitatedly. "You're right, you're right. Argh, I just wish we could spend time together like we used to." Carina tried to placate her friend, "We can, Jim, only without using my real name or references to our past unless we're alone. Promise?" Jim took her small hands in his, "Of course. I know I failed with my last promise, but I swear I will do everything I can to keep you safe and with me."

Carina slumped in relief, burying her face in Jim's chest and listening to the comforting beat of his heart. "I missed you so much Jim", she murmured. Jim replied softly while wrapping his arms around Carina's thin frame and resting his cheek on her head. He worried about their secret, but he was also overjoyed to be reunited with the only true friend he'd ever had. They needed each other, and Jim was going to make sure they were never separated again.


	9. Knowing You

**Knowing You**

The following weeks were some of Carina's happiest, despite Silver working her and Jim harder than even _she_ could have imagined—preparing the food, washing the dishes, and cleaning or repairing the ship. She was living her dream of sailing space, and she (finally) had her best friend at her side. Most of all, the crushing weight of Jim's supposedly broken promise had been lifted, and Carina knew that he really had cared about her during those years they'd been separated. For Carina, no task was impossible now that she had Jim again.

Whenever they had some free time from Silver's chores and knot tying lessons, Carina and Jim would climb the rigging and watch the stars, sit in the galley and listen as Silver enacted fearsome stories to the crew, or just find a discreet place to talk. She told Jim about her escape from Endrane; he eventually shared the details of his father's departure and his resulting downward spiral and delinquency, and how his mother had turned their home into an inn as she struggled to support them.

One late afternoon, Carina was sitting in the rigging with Jim when she brought up the question that had been rolling around in her mind since the first day of the voyage. "Jim." Said boy turned to look at her with a smile, "Yes?" Brow furrowed slightly, she spoke cautiously. "If your fa—if it's just you and Sarah, and with all the trouble you've told me that you got into the last few years; how are you here? How did you manage to get on a ship like we always talked about? You didn't," she lowered her voice nervously, "You didn't run away like me…did you?"

To her surprise, Jim grinned mischievously and leaned towards her. "I haven't told you where we're really going," he whispered conspiratorially. "The Captain said to keep it hushed and, well, I didn't know it was you at first. You know the Treasure Planet book we were always reading?" Carina nodded, "Yes of course I rememb—" her eyes widened suddenly. "We're going to _Treasure Planet?_ " "Shh!" Jim pressed a finger to Carina's lips when she raised her voice, speaking urgently. "We have to keep it a secret!" Carina winced. "Sorry. But, you mean it's real? I mean, of course I believed it was real; but you're saying it _really_ real? Wait a minute, how…how do you know where it is? Are we just—" Laughing softly, Jim interrupted her rambling torrent of questions. "There is a map, and I'm the only one who knows how to open it. It shows how to get to Treasure Planet from any location in the galaxy." Carina's jaw dropped, her mind reeling. "That's, that's incredible…but how in the Etherium did you _get_ it?"

She watched Jim turn away slightly, his face darkening. "A couple of weeks ago this salamander guy crashed landed at…at home, and said he was being pursued. He was in bad shape; he gave me the map and told me to keep it safe, and then he died. Doc was over, and we were ambushed, well…they burned the inn." His voice was quiet. Carina made a strangled sound, and saw her cabin boy clench his fists. Poor Jim, she couldn't imagine what it must have been like to watch his home go up in flames. Her eyes filled with tears thinking of that place, which had always felt like home to her, being gone. After a moment, Jim continued. "We went to Doc's house, which is where Mom's staying, and I figured out how to open the map. Well, we didn't actually _know_ it was a map at first, but once we saw that it led to Treasure Planet it opened up a lot of possibilities. This is my chance to make it up to Mom, and with that treasure we could have a house again."

Once he had finished, Carina laid a hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry Jim, about your house and everything. But at the same time I'm really glad you got the map, and that it allowed you to find me again." Smiling slightly, Jim put his hand on hers and said in a soft-voice, "Me too."

Though Jim still had an attitude and moments of sullenness on their voyage, particularly around the adults, Carina treasured their friendship now that she was no longer "Lucas". One night when Jim had seemed distant and disappeared after the chores were done, Carina decided to follow him. She emerged on deck to a brilliant display of stars and gasped at the Etherium's beauty. Shaking her head, Carina looked around for her brown-haired friend and found him out on the very prow of the ship. Tentatively, Carina walked out to stand near the boy who was kneeling and admiring the sky as his hair blew everywhere. Jim glanced up at the sound of her approach, and Carina was relieved to see his face relax. As she stood there with her hand on his shoulder, they understood that no words were needed. The two friends simply enjoyed the stars in silence until their yawns prompted their return to the sleeping quarters with a soft "goodnight".

Not every moment on their voyage was so idyllic. They were scrubbing the deck _yet again_ (seriously, it didn't even get dirty) when Silver came over to point out the spots they had "missed". Jim heard Carina sighed quietly, and he puffed himself up against the large man as though daring Silver to call him a boy. After Silver left, Jim scrubbed with a sour expression, remembering how his father had been so dismissive of his abilities.

Jim was jolted out of his thoughts when he heard Carina gasp, and he turned to see the largest crew member snickering and walking away from a now-soaked "Lucas"; who evidently had been about to toss a bucket of water overboard. Jim's blood boiled, but he didn't dare make a scene after the 'Scroop incident', especially since they were hiding Carina's gender. Remembering the first time he'd gotten in a full-fledged fight—defending her on their way to school—Jim felt extremely frustrated that he was helpless to do the same here. Most of the crew were just too big, and it was folly to expect Silver to save him again. He couldn't help yelling though. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" _She wasn't even the smallest person on the ship, couldn't they pick on someone else?_ Jim walked to her swiftly, taking the bucket out of her hands and helping to wring out the lower half of her shirt. He wanted to give her his shirt or go find her ragged jacket or something, but settled for wrapping his coat around Carina's shoulders as she whispered her thanks.

Later that night Silver was in a theatrical mood; and the two teens sat at the bottom of the stairs, watching from the shadows in fascination as Silver scared the crew with his stories. Chuckling, Carina glanced over at the boy seated next to her. Jim had a small smile on his face, but he also looked a little wistful; and Carina wished they belonged to families that spent time together, like the interaction she and Jim were witnessing and silently wanting to be a part of.

Her drifting thoughts stopped as she shivered. Night had come and her shirt was still soaked, so even with her jacket on she was having difficulty staying warm. She felt Jim turn, and glanced up to see a concerned face. "You're cold" he stated. "It's fine, my shirt just isn't quite dry yet." Jim rolled his eyes after feeling her hand. "Sure, and in the meantime you are freezing cold." Miffed, Carina started to retort when Jim cut her off, scooting closer to her and opening his big jacket, eyebrows raised expectantly. With a wry grin of defeat, Carina leaned against Jim's chest and sighed happily as he wrapped his jacket and arms around her. She was about to nod off in his warmth when Jim whispered kindly, "I know you are used to looking out for yourself Carina, but it is okay to be taken care of too." She replied softly, "I'll remember."


	10. Loving You

**Loving You**

 _Damn they had to do a lot of dishes before they could call it a night,_ Jim thought as he and Carina were washing the last stack of plates one evening over a month into the voyage. He looked at his curly-haired friend, who appeared as ready to drop as he was. _At least her shirt isn't soaked like it was last week_ , he reflected with a wry smile. Not that he'd actually minded, Jim mused, remembering how his heart had raced when Carina snuggled into his chest, and the heat in his cheeks as he'd looked down at her wrapped securely in his arms. _Stop it._ Jim chided himself as he reached for another plate to scrub. _She's your friend, besides, anyone would want their friend to be warm_. But he found himself watching her too often, gazing at her face even when she wasn't talking or laughing with him. Like right now. Jim mentally slapped himself when he realized he'd stopped washing dishes and was staring at Carina while she worked, at the way her curls stuck out from under her hat and how her lips pursed while scrubbing a particularly grimy dish.

Jim turned reluctantly back to his plate just as Silver swaggered in with an enormous armload of dishes. Gawking at the pile in dismay, Jim's sense of injustice roared as he gritted his teeth. Grabbing the biggest pot and scrubbing furiously, he was determined to live up to the cyborg's expectations no matter how unfair they were. Dozens of dishes later, Jim's eyes drooped and he thought briefly that he should tell Carina to go to bed while he finished up. It wasn't until he felt the sudden warmth of a large coat on his shoulders, and looked up to see Silver ascending the stairs, that Jim realized he'd fallen asleep hunched over a large pot. Jim felt a rush of gratitude towards the old cyborg, and thought that maybe he did have a kind heart underneath all that coarseness.

Belatedly noticing the uneven weight on his shoulders, Jim glanced down and smiled upon seeing Carina sound asleep against him. The cabin boy carefully picked up the sleeping girl, walking quietly back to the hammocks and laying her down tenderly. He stood there for a moment, overcome by how peaceful and beautiful she looked as she breathed softly. Before he could change his mind, Jim swallowed hard and quickly placed a feather-light kiss on her cheek before climbing into his own hammock, blushing madly.


	11. Seeing Stars

**Seeing Stars**

Some days later the two teenagers finally caught a slight break with chores, and were able to enjoy the Etherium's beauty for a little while before they had to go to the bunkroom and pass out. As he sat in the crow's nest watching the night sky, Jim's thoughts drifted to his mother and the holographic necklace she always wore. When he was young Jim had loved to look at the moments captured in it: his first steps as a baby, playing with a new wind-up toy, and bringing home a "pet" and _begging_ his mother to let him keep it. Both he and Carina had brought it home actually. Jim smiled at the memory of that day, one of their many eager childhood adventures. Of course, Sarah had told them to put the tentacle-waving thing back on the beach where they'd found it, and Carina had been quite upset over leaving the squishy purple creature.

Jim looked over at said girl, who was seated on the bench next to him, her gaze soft as she enjoyed the peaceful night. Carina must have felt him staring, because she turned to Jim with a gentle smile. "It's so beautiful," she marveled, looking back at the stars. "Yes." Jim was not looking at the sky however. Carina continued, "It still amazes me sometimes that I actually got away and this is my life now. I always wanted to do this…" she looked at the cabin boy again, "…with you."

Mouth dry, Jim slid closer and took her hand, still gazing into her eyes. "And we are. I knew this was my big chance, but when I got on this ship I never dreamed I'd find you." He trailed off as Carina leaned towards him, making his heart pound. "Carina, I…" Jim lost his train of thought completely, her gray eyes and parted lips ridiculously distracting. Giving into his feelings, he bent his head slowly, and as she closed her eyes Jim carefully pressed his lips to hers, hands gently cupping her face. He felt Carina catch her breath, and then there was nothing but the two of them in each other's arms. After a few moments Jim pulled away slightly, and as Carina opened her eyes she nearly laughed. The expression on his face was comical, a mixture of being slightly worried yet very pleased with himself. Carina placed her hands around his neck with a smile, which Jim returned as he leaned in again, lips tingling as they kissed under the stars.


	12. The Sea of Memories

**The Sea of Memories**

The disguised girl was walking quietly, trying not to giggle as she rummaged through the cupboards of the small galley. She had just left Jim and Silver conversing on the top deck, and snuck down to the kitchen looking for something sweet. Jim's kisses qualified of course, but a girl also needs her chocolate. Her amusement stemmed from remembering an instance when both she and Jim were in his kitchen, making a total mess in an effort to help his mother.

 _It was the winter when Carina and Jim were nine years old, and they were on a short holiday from school. With the awful weather conditions Sarah Hawkins had forced them to take a break from solar surfing, for fear the winds would cause them to crash. Carina went to visit Jim anyway, even though they would be cooped up inside they would surely not be lacking for things to do. If nothing else, they could hide out in Jim's room and read Treasure Planet for the umpteenth time._

 _Carina knocked on the front door and waited forever in the cold for someone to let her in. She knocked again. Where were they? Finally, she heard footsteps and Jim opened the door. Both of their faces lit up with smiles, but Carina saw worry lines around his eyes. "What's wrong?" Motioning for her to come in, Jim whispered. "Mom's not doing good, she has a cold, I was just upstairs trying to take care of her." The curly haired girl adored Mrs. Hawkins, and felt terrible that she was sick. Carina turned back towards the door. "I should go then, I don't want to bother her." "No!" Jim pleaded while grabbing her arm. "Stay with me and help me take care of her. Please?" Smiling in defeat, Carina took off her jacket. "Alright. We should probably tell her that I'm here and find out if there is anything we can do," she said briskly while walking towards the stairs._

 _They found Sarah in bed sneezing and with bags under her eyes. Jim didn't know much about taking care of someone who was sick—other than what his mom always did for him. He had piled all the blankets he could find on her—including the ones from his bed—and brought her an assortment of toys and books; as a result Carina could hardly see Sarah. Walking over quietly, she said hello to Jim's mother and took her hand. Sarah smiled faintly, and protested that Carina shouldn't be there in case she caught the cold too. Carina shook her head, instead asking if they could get Sarah anything. Before the woman could answer, Jim spoke up excitedly. "I know! We'll make you some hot chocolate!" Carina rolled her eyes. "What, is that what your mom makes you when you're sick?" Jim looked at the floor sheepishly. "Well, no, but hot chocolate is awesome so I thought it would cheer her up." Sarah smiled. "That's very thoughtful of you sweetie, I just need some water and a nap, that's all."_

 _Carina pulled Jim out into the hallway. "Okay," she whispered, "here's the plan. We are going to make her some tea—tea, not hot chocolate, and maybe a tray of food, and bring it up to her and keep her company." Carina really didn't know anymore than Jim about taking care of a sick person, but she figured it was time for a different tactic than a million books and toys. "Why do you get to decide, she's my mom!" Carina raised her eyebrows, and Jim huffed. "Fine, but we'd better be quick or she'll know we're up to something more than just getting water."_

 _The next 20 minutes were a haphazard sequence of preparations involving dashing about and lots of shushing; and ending in an impressively disorganized kitchen. Carina brewed tea—that was quite watery—while Jim sliced some purps and put crackers on a plate. Carina insisted on making a beautiful bed tray with milk and honey for the tea, and sent Jim outside to look for flowers. He returned dripping wet with a few bedraggled pansies, which they added to the tray. The two children painstakingly carried everything up; they were almost to Sarah's room when Carina remembered something. "I forgot to turn the stove off!" and pounded back down the stairs. Sarah called out in a worried voice, and Jim yelled back "Everything's fine!" Reappearing suddenly, Carina took the tray from Jim. "Okay, now you get the book and we'll go surprise her" she ordered._

 _They made quite the sight as they triumphantly entered Sarah's room; Carina barely managing to carry the tray and Jim's hair totally soaked. The two children were ready to burst as Sarah exclaimed happily over the fruits of their labor, and listened intently as Jim and Carina took turns reading Treasure Planet out loud for the rest of the afternoon._

For the second time on their voyage Jim sat with Carina on a seat hanging off the side of the Legacy, prying barnacles from the hull. He flicked a particularly stubborn one off and sighed. _Only a bazillion more to go._ Unlike the first occasion however, he knew the "cabin boy's" real identity, and every day he couldn't seem to wipe the grin off his face—in spite of being run ragged. In addition to the fact that they were a couple now, so many originally happy memories were surfacing in Jim's mind; ones he'd tried for years to avoid because they'd left a bitter taste. Now, as he looked over at Carina, Jim's thoughts turned to the momentous day when they'd first became best friends.

 _As usual, they were in primary class with the other 6-year-olds, and they were having their first show-and-tell day at school. Jim knew who Carina was, of course, but they hadn't really interacted much. But today, they were individually bursting with excitement as the class gathered in a circle for sharing. Jim went first, proudly holding up his beautiful copy of the book 'Treasure Planet' and explaining the story of Captain Flint's treasure to everyone. He went into such detail that the teacher told him to stop before he had finished, to his great disappointment. But he forgot about being upset when Carina held up a sketchbook, in which she'd drawn a model for a toy solar ship. Jim thought it looked amazing, and was impressed when she showed the class the prototype she was making—a crude assemblage of wires, sheet metal, and tiny sails—and listened to her explain it wasn't finished yet. He was excited that someone else in the class held his love of machinery and invention, but as Carina put away the model he noticed she looked sad—and he wondered if she was having trouble with it._

 _Later, back in their seats, Jim decided to sneak over when they were supposed to be reading. "Psst. Carina, right?" She glanced up shyly, "Yeah?" "That drawing you did was awesome." "T-thanks" she stammered, looking pleased. "Can I see your model again? I bet I could help you finish it." Jim pulled some little tools and bits of wire out of his pocket, and the two children forgot they were in a classroom as they worked eagerly, voices growing louder and louder. It was only when a shadow loomed over them and they looked up to see the teacher scowling that they realized what a ruckus they were making. "Oops." Jim gulped, trying in vain to hide the evidence in his pockets._

Removing another barnacle, Jim grinned as he thought about the talking-to they'd both received but hardly cared about—they were much too excited discussing mechanics. And it wasn't long afterwards that Carina had come over for the first time, and demanded to hear the rest of his story about Treasure Planet.


	13. Doing Dishesetc

**Doing Dishes…etc.**

Carina was loosing track of time as she and Jim worked to finish the mountains of dishes the crew created each night. With two cabin boys, Silver often abandoned them to the chores whether he was on watch or not. Pushing her growing hair back, Carina reached for another dish and wearily turned to look at Jim. She could still hardly believe not only that they'd found each other again, but that he'd also reciprocated her recent change of feelings. Even though they were worked to the point of falling asleep over the dishes, Carina wouldn't have traded the past weeks for anything. Carina smiled tenderly as she gazed at her solar flare, who was completely absorbed with scrubbing. _He's come so far since the start of this voyage_ , she thought. The aspects of Jim she had loved as a child were reemerging, and though he certainly had his rough spots he was letting go of his rebellious attitude and learning about being a man. Carina knew that she had Silver to thank for much of the positive change she'd seen in Jim.

Her musings were interrupted as Dr. Doppler walked clumsily down the stairs and into the galley. "Ah, Jim, there you are! Hello Lucas. Jim, the Captain would like to see you in her office." Jim finished drying a mug and turned to follow the dog-man, "leave my portion Lucas, I'll be back soon to finish it up." Carina nodded absently and waved them off, fully intending to keep washing until Jim returned from opening the map for the Captain. Carina smirked. _He is crazy if he really thinks I'll leave dishes for him_. She hummed softly to herself as she worked, thinking about Jim and how more than just his demeanor had changed. Funny, when you're kids you never wonder how your friend will look when they're grown up. Prior to this voyage Carina would not have pegged a guy resembling Jim as her type, but she'd come to love his rebellious style—his deep blue eyes and muscular frame didn't hurt either.

Carina was preparing to dry the last dish when she heard the cabin boy return. " I thought I told you to save some for me" he said, walking to her side and taking the plate out of her hands. Carina's heart started to pound as she gazed up at him in mock innocence. "Really? Because I could have sworn you said that to 'Lucas'". His smile conceding defeat, Jim gently swept her hair behind her ear and whispered, "I _was_ going to finish them Carina." She struggled to find enough air to reply as Jim stepped closer to her. "I know." Carina closed her eyes as she felt Jim's mouth trail across her cheek to brush delicately over her lips, and she heard him set the plate down. "Next time then."

All thoughts of dishes fled Carina's mind as Jim kissed her full on. They'd only managed a few sweet, but hurried, kisses since their first intimate moment in the crow's nest two weeks ago. This was different. Carina felt as though nothing existed except for Jim's hot mouth moving with hers, his hands stroking her short hair as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Carina gasped when Jim cupped her head and waist, pulling her impossibly close and running his tongue along her lower lip. She parted her lips in response and moaned as Jim slid his tongue into her mouth. His sweet exploration set Carina's body on fire, his strong arms the only thing keeping her upright. As Jim deepened the kiss she let go of his hair to run her hands tentatively along his chest, making the blue-eyed teen hum with pleasure.

Jim was still holding her when they parted reluctantly, trying to catch their breath. He opened his eyes to see Carina's flushed face inches from his own, and they were both trembling. He'd never felt like that before. She was so beautiful; Jim had never imagined a girl could make his heart pound as crazily or frequently as Carina did. Watching the curly-haired girl race excitedly up the rigging, laugh at Silver's stories, smile as they talked or gazed at the stars got his emotions running wild. And now, looking into her gray eyes Jim couldn't restrain himself and he dipped his head again, smiling when he heard Carina sigh as he gently took her lips in his.

Jim intended to go slowly, moving to kiss Carina's cheeks and forehead, but abandoned that plan when she whimpered in protest as he left her mouth, small hands twisting in his shirt. Jim crashed their lips together in a frenzied response, his fingers digging into Carina's hips as she immediately parted her lips. Jim took advantage of the invitation to sweep his tongue deep into Carina's mouth, reveling in the feeling of her tongue sliding against his. Consumed by her taste and the feel of her in his arms Jim backed them into the wall, his hands running up and down her sides. Jim was barely able to think as Carina lifted the edge of his shirt, her hands burning against his skin. Carina's touch made Jim groan against her mouth and unconsciously pull her hips towards his own as his pants tightened.

Loud footsteps sent the teens scrambling away from each other, hurriedly trying to straighten their clothing and calm their breathing as Silver came down the stairs and into the galley. The old cyborg saw a red-faced Lucas and disheveled Jim putting dishes away and deliberately avoiding each other's gaze. "What took you pups so long? I'da thought you'd be done and asleep by now." Lucas answered calmly, "Dr. Doppler needed Jim for something, and I was just finishing up when he got back." _Oh were ya now_ , Silver thought to himself. "Well, so long as it doesn't happen again. Now, off ta bed both of ya, we got a lot of work tomorrow." The teens needed no encouragement, and Silver watched them leave with a knowing look in his eye. _Who did they think they were fooling?_


	14. Comets, Stars, and Black Holes

**Comets, Stars, and Black Holes**

Jim moved swiftly around the longboat launching area as he helped Silver prepare for his trip to a nearby comet. He was still a little embarrassed and wary after Silver had practically walked in on him and Carina kissing three days ago; but mostly the cabin boy admired and loved learning from the man who was becoming more and more like the father he'd always wanted—not that he would ever admit it.

Just as he finished loosing the last rope, Jim heard footsteps and turned to see Carina enter the launch platform. "I should have known you two would be down here" she smirked while walking to stand by Jim's side. He returned her smile, but it slide off of his face as they watched Silver leave in his longboat; Jim's memories of his father's abandonment flooding over him. His grief was interrupted by a gentle squeeze on his shoulder from Carina, who had correctly guessed the reason for his change of mood. Before he could reassure her, a flutter of movement caught Jim's eye and the teen's face lit up suddenly as Silver came into view, gesturing for them to join him.

The tension in his heart vanished, and grinning wildly, Jim leaped into the boat then beckoned for Carina to jump. "Aren't you coming Lucas?" _She's afraid_ , he realized guiltily as he watched her peer over the edge. "Don't worry, I'll catch you!" Jim winced when he recognized that Silver might find that communication suspect. Cabin boys were supposed to be tough and take care of themselves. Sighing, he held out his arms and a moment later Carina landed in them, her eyes shut tight. Jim almost pulled her into a reassuring embrace, but stopped himself just in time. Separating awkwardly, they sat on either side of Silver, who started to instruct Jim in flying a longboat—only to grab his hat as Jim suddenly took off into the Etherium. Jim smirked slightly at the cyborg's look of surprise; he sped towards the comet and showed off his skills via fancy turns and barrel rolls that covered them all with ice crystals. He felt free out here, just like when he went solar surfing. He glanced over at Carina, her fear of leaping into the boat was gone, now she glowed with joy and the lingering ice crystals on her clothes and hair, making it difficult for Jim to breathe. From the smile on her face he gathered that she had missed their days of flying too.

They returned to the Legacy in high spirits, and Carina grinned as Jim hauled up his side of the longboat much faster than Silver. "Having a little trouble there?" the boy teased, as Silver swatted at him good-naturedly. "Oh, get away from me!" The cyborg plopped down after he secured his line. "Ah Jimbo, if I could maneuver a skip like that when I was yer age—they'd be _bowing_ in the streets when I walked by today!" Turning into a miniature Silver, Morph gestured dramatically and echoed, "Bowing in the streets!"

Jim was grinning as he finished tying off the longboat and sat down next to Carina. "I dunno, they weren't exactly singing my praises when I left home." He leaned forward, looking at the cyborg intently. "But I'm gonna change all that." Silver glanced up from petting Morph. "Oh? How so?" Carina watched Jim lean back against the boat with a satisfied smirk on his face. "I've got some plans…to make people see me a little differently." Her smile disappeared as Silver's demeanor darkened. "Sometimes, plans go astray." Carina started to get a bad feeling as the oblivious Jim engaged Silver in conversation about his mechanical body parts; Silver claiming they were the price he paid for chasing a dream, to which Jim asked if it was worth it. Chuckling, Silver moved to sit on Jim's other side, and put an arm around the boy. "I'm hopin' it is Jimbo, I most surely am." Feeling cold inside, Carina was positive something was amiss, but she had no time to dwell on it.

Not a minute after Silver finished talking, their peaceful night was shattered as the ship lurched wildly; Jim instantly grabbing Carina's waist to keep her from tumbling. The cabin boy ran up to the deck, Carina and Silver right on his heels. Fear momentarily paralyzed Jim as he tried to comprehend the sight of a violently exploding star, but he forced himself to move as Captain Amelia and Mr. Arrow shouted for everyone to help them retreat. Jim looked around frantically until he spotted curly hair, whose owner was attaching her lifeline and yelling for him to do the same.

Chaos ensued as the crew, including Jim and Carina, raced around the ship breaking down the solar sails and detonating oncoming molten rocks with the laser cannons as the Legacy sped away from the star; the explosion right behind them. Jim tried to stay near Carina as they tied up sails, but he lost track of her when a flying rock broke Silver's lifeline and he had to scramble to keep the cyborg on the ship. No sooner was the lifeline reasonably secured then Jim heard Silver gasp; the boy looked up in horror at a chunk of rock bigger than the Legacy hurtling towards them. It was just about to crash into their ship when suddenly, it reversed course. Jim's fear changed to confusion and relief—until he saw the spiral in the distance with a dark center. Forcing himself to think and appear calm, the terrified cabin boy stumbled back to the main deck as quickly as he could on a ship that was being tossed and pulled towards a black hole. As he scanned the Legacy for Carina a surge of heat blasted over everyone, throwing Jim to the floor as he heard a muffled cry.

He struggled to his feet to find the girl on the deck a few paces away. Her gray eyes were huge as he helped her up, and they clung to each other until Captain Amelia ordered Jim to check the crew's lifelines. Dr. Doppler—who had been monitoring the navigational instruments—shouted something about the "last wave", followed by the captain urging everyone to buckle down and hold their lifelines while she continued to woman the helm. Jim grabbed Carina, pushing her against the mainmast and pinning himself over her protectively as Silver came over to shield the teens with his large body. The cabin boy felt the girl turn, and he tried to smile reassuringly as he met her gaze. Abandoning secrecy and common sense, Jim closed his eyes and pressed his lips to Carina's cheek; resting his head on her shoulder when she turned back towards the mast. He loved her so much, and as he held her Jim thought that at least they would get to die together.

A bright light surrounded the ship as an enormous burst of fiery energy came shooting up from the depths of the black hole. Carina clung to the mast, wood splintering beneath her nails as Jim nearly crushed her against the pillar. The solar sails billowed in the heat and light, making the newly fueled ship shoot away from the black hole and into the safety of the Etherium. Carina slowly opened her eyes when she heard the crew cheering, and moved away from the mast as Silver and Jim loosened their grips. She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding and shakily turned to hug the exhausted Jim, who trembled against her.


	15. Failure

**Failure, Comfort, and Doubts**

Amidst the joyous exclamations over their miraculous survival, Carina heard Captain Amelia try to regain some semblance of order. "Congratulations Mr. Silver, it seems your cabin boy did a bang-up job with those lifelines." The disguised girl smiled as Silver and Jim pushed each other good-naturedly. The Captain's voice sounded again. "All hands accounted for Mr. Arrow?" The entire crew fell silent when the distinctive bellow of the First Officer did not reply. Carina muffled a gasp as Scroop slunk forward, holding Mr. Arrow's hat in one claw. "I'm afraid, Mr. Arrow has been lost. His lifeline was not secured." Stomach twisting in knots, Carina turned to Jim, who looked like he'd been punched. "Jim" she began—"No, I checked them all!" Jim ran wildly to where the lifelines were anchored, horror and confusion etched across his face at the sight of the missing rope. Carina saw Jim locked eyes with the Captain. "I, I did, I checked them all! They were secure, I swear." Carina turned to Silver, expecting the cyborg to back Jim up, but to her surprise Silver caught Scroop's gaze for a moment. _Was that a look of confidentiality?_

Though Carina hadn't actually watched Jim check the lifelines, she knew his methods and that he would never do something incorrectly, particularly if lives depended on it. She just could not believe that Jim was at fault, and Carina breathed out in relief when it became apparent that Captain Amelia was not going to punish him. Carina was only partially listening to the Captain's speech in memory of Mr. Arrow; she felt bad for the First Officer of course, but at the moment she was far more worried about her cabin boy.

As the crew dispersed Carina walked over to the main mast. "Jim," she spoke kindly—but said boy brushed her off without a glance and hurried toward the far end of the ship. Determined not to be dismissed so easily, Carina took a deep breath and followed. "Jim," she said firmly, "look at me." She watched as the brown-haired boy reluctantly raised his eyes. "Jim, I know it wasn't your fault. There are any number of reasons why his line could have broken, I know you—" Jim cut her off angrily "But it happened okay, it was _my_ responsibility, I—just leave me alone!" Stung, Carina hesitantly reached out a hand, only to retract it when Jim turned away. Blinking back tears, she left with the sinking feeling that the Jim she'd known for the past few weeks had given way again to the distant and morose manifestation he'd been at the start of their journey.

The site of the supernova had been left far behind, and though virtually everyone was asleep Jim still sat in the rigging, twisting a length of rope in his chafed hands and going over and over again in his mind how he'd checked the lifelines, searching for the flaw. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he failed to hear approaching footsteps until Silver spoke from a few paces away. "It weren't yer fault ya know." Jim sighed as Silver asserted "Why, half the crew'd be spinnin' in that black abyss if—" Furious, Jim threw away the rope, dropped onto the deck and stomped over to the cyborg. "Look, don't you get it?" he raged. "I screwed up! I mean, for two seconds I thought that maybe I could do something right, I just—augh!" Jim yanked on his hair wildly while turning away to lean on the mast. "Just forget it, forget it, " Jim choked out, face in his hands.

A moment later the cabin boy felt Silver's hand on his shoulder, he tried to keep looking away but the much larger man turned him firmly. "Now you listen to me, _James Hawkins_. You've got the makings of greatness in ya! But you've got to take the helm and chart yer own course!" Silver poked him in the chest for emphasis. "Stick to it, no matter the squalls! And when the time comes and ya got the chance to really test the cut of yer sails, and show what yer made of…" Silver turned and looked into the distance as if he were seeing the future, voice softening. "…well, I hope I'm there, catching some of the light coming off you that day." Jim's eyes filled with tears as Silver finished his speech and turned to give him a knowing look. Jim felt like it had been revealed that there _was_ an end to the tunnel, but he still didn't know how to get there.

Feeling lost, needing comfort but not knowing how to ask, Jim slowly leaned forward and rested his head on the surprised Silver's big belly as he sniffled. Silver's reassuring hug and murmurings made Jim hopeful; and after the cyborg reminded him about sleep Jim gave his friend a tiny smile before making his way down to the bunkroom.

Pausing briefly as he entered the sleeping quarters, Jim nervously glanced over at Carina's hammock, then looked down in shame upon seeing her awake and waiting for him with a deep frown on her face. She didn't say a word as Jim took off his boots and sat across from her on the edge of his own hammock. "Carina, about earlier—I am really sorry." Jim chewed his lower lip. "I still feel awful about what happened to Arrow, but I realize that you were just trying to help, and I was wrong to snap at you. I'm sorry."

Her features relaxed slightly, but he didn't have time to wonder why she looked anxious before he felt her arms around his neck. "I understand Jim—" and then he brought her lips up to his with a small sigh of relief. The kiss barely lasted a moment before Carina broke away. " _Jim_." "Hm?" Carina dropped her voice to a whisper. "I have to talk to you, something's not right. After we found out about Arrow and you went to check the lifelines, I saw Silver and Scroop exchange a look, like they knew something we didn't." Jim's eyes narrowed. "I don't want to believe it, but I think they had something to do with Arrow's death" Carina finished hurriedly, as if speaking quickly would prevent it from being true.

Jim stood abruptly and started pacing, the tender feelings of a moment ago replaced with anger. " _How could you_? I know Scroop is awful, but Silver would never—I can't believe you would even think that, you of all people know what kind of person he is, what he means to me!" Now Carina stood as well, fighting to keep her voice low. "You don't think he is a father-figure to me as well Jim? He has kept me safe since I ran away, and without him I wouldn't have been reunited with you!" She countered, voice cracking. "I want to be wrong Jim, believe me, but when you add it to a long list of little suspicious things—like your conversation in the longboat earlier—I am afraid of the picture it all might be painting!" Carina sat down heavily on her hammock. "Please, let's just be careful and, and—" she wavered as Jim walked past and got into his hammock, glowering. "And nothing," he finished, voice harsh. "You didn't hear him just now, how he believes in me. You're wrong." The curly-haired girl opened her mouth, then closed it as Jim turned away from her. Rolling over in her hammock, Carina blinked back tears and tried to ignore her sense of fear and despair.

Jim lay in his hammock facing the wall, fuming. _How could she accuse Silver like that? She'd known him longer than he had!_ Even though Jim had been warned about a cyborg by the alien who had given him the map—and he was initially suspicious of Silver—the man had come to fill such a prominent hole in Jim's life that he couldn't bear to consider Silver as anything other than the kind and supportive father figure he appeared to be. His fight with Carina brought to mind another argument, this time about his real father, from when they were kids…

 _Jim walked in the door muttering and went straight up to his room, a scowl on his face. He and Carina rarely fought—beyond the typical bickering of friends—but today the subject of Jim's neglectful father had been brought up. Carina was no fan of Mr. Hawkins, and the two adolescents had gotten into a heated argument that resulted in Jim blowing a fuse._

 _Jim plopped down on his bed with a sigh, and put his head in his hands. Why did she have to say anything? The rational part of him knew that she could see how his father's distance hurt him, but Jim wanted to go on pretending that everything was fine; despite the broken promises and the "extra work" his father claimed he had to do. Jim ran a hand through his hair dejectedly. While it would have been nice if Carina had left the subject alone, he should not have snapped at her like that. She didn't know he was angry to begin with because his parents had had another fight the night before._

 _Jim glanced over at his dresser with the little holographic image sitting on top. It was a recording of him and Carina that she'd given him for his 10_ _th_ _birthday a few weeks ago, showing them laughing hysterically after they'd landed their solar surfer. Jim smiled at the memory of that day, then grew serious again. Abruptly he stood and walked towards the front door. Her friendship was one of the best things in his life, and he wasn't going to let them dwell on this argument for another minute—even though he was still upset._

 _He spent a long time searching for Carina, and was considering putting it off until school the next day. Taking one last turn by the canyons, he saw her sitting in the exact spot where they'd landed in his holograph. As Jim approached nervously, he could see that Carina's head was buried in her knees, but she lifted it quickly when she heard him arrive. "Leave me alone Jim." Said boy bit his lip, then sat beside her. "Carina, about what I said, earlier…I'm sorry. Even though I'm still kind of mad, I shouldn't have said those things. See, my parents had just had a fight and, well…it's not your fault." Carina looked up at him cautiously, and Jim's heart clenched when he saw the tears that were his doing. "I know you just want things to be better for me" he finished. Jim watched Carina sit up and smile faintly. "I'm sorry too Jim. I shouldn't always say what I think." Relieved, he returned her smile; then put his arm around her. He felt Carina rest her head on his shoulder, and the two friends watched the sun set over Montressor, happy they were together._

Jim sighed as he rolled over. Why did they have to repeat the pattern, but this time they couldn't seem to forgive each other?


	16. The Truth in a Purp Barrel

**The Truth in a Purp Barrel**

Carina woke the next morning to thrashing noises punctuated by a loud thump. Yawning, she looked over the edge of her hammock and smiled upon seeing Jim sitting on the floor and trying to put his boots on with his eyes closed. Her smile disappeared as she remembered their fight, and even Morph's boot imitating antics couldn't shake her worries. She was searching for her own shoes and coat when she saw Jim lean over some trunks Morph-the-boot had wandered among. "Knock it off Morph, it's too early for this" Jim grumbled. As Carina watched, Morph decided to up his game, and he gave Jim a solid kick in the rear. Jim snapped out of his drowsiness with a loud "Ow!" and when Morph revealed the real boot Jim took off chasing the pink blob around the hammocks yelling for him to come back.

"Jim!" Carina called loudly as said boy and the shape-shifter dashed out of sight. Cursing, she scrambled after them and emerged from the bunkroom in time to see Jim launch himself through the air, snatch the boot back, and engage in a "whack-a-Morph" battle with miniature versions of his own head. Carina finally caught up as Jim, still ignoring her, lifted the hatch and followed Morph below decks. After putting on his reclaimed boot—while falling down the stairs—Jim crept quietly through the galley to the purp barrel, a frustrated Carina right behind him. The cabin boy peered over the edge, and when he saw a purp with eyes he jumped into the barrel with a gleeful "Busted!"

Exasperated, Carina opened her mouth to hiss his name again when she heard voices coming down the stairs. "We're sick of all this waiting!" Quickly, she squeezed into the barrel next to Jim and motioned frantically for him to be quiet. Her gestures were unnecessary however, as the cabin boy had also heard the crew and immediately stifled Morph as the teens held their breath, listening.

"Ve are vanting to move!" Then, to their shock and dismay they heard Silver's voice reply, "We don't move 'til we got the treasure map in hand!" The curly-haired girl and the cabin boy had barely processed this statement before the spider-psycho joined in. "I say we kill them all now." Jim peeked through a hole in the barrel in time to see Silver choke Scroop. "I say what's to say around here! Disobey my orders again like that stunt ya pulled with Mr. Arrow…" Jim's mind reeled with the realization that he _hadn't_ screwed up, and Carina's suspicions were correct. "…and so help me you'll be joining him!" Silver yelled, throwing Scroop against the barrel the teenagers were hiding in.

Rising from the floor, Scroop muttered darkly "Strong talk, but I know otherwise." "Yeh got somethin' to say, Scroop?" Silver asked. Jim and Carina's hearts nearly stopped when Scroop reached into the barrel; carefully, Jim put a purp into Scroop's red claw before the alien could look down and see them. "It'sss those boysss, especially that _Jim Hawkinsss_ " Scroop accused. Said boy didn't know what to think as Silver shifted nervously. Scroop continued, "Me thinks you have a soft…" he punctured the purp for emphasis "…sspot for them." Silver scowled "Now, mark me—the lot of ya! I care about one thing and one thing only! Flint's trove!" Silver gestured emphatically. "D'you think I'd risk it all for the sake of some…nose-wipin' little whelp?" he demanded. At this proclamation Jim felt like he'd been thrashed, except that would have hurt less. But Scroop was just warming up. "Oo, what was it now?" he simpered, clasping his claws together and batting his eyes. "You've got the makings of _greatness_ in ya" he finished with a triumphant sneer."Shut yer yap!" Silver snapped. "I cozied up to Hawkins to keep him off our scent…" the cyborg shook his finger at the spider-psycho "…I ain't gone soft!" Scroop tried a different tactic. "What about that Lucas, then? I haven't seen you including _him_ in any of our plans." Silver shrugged. "That's because 'Lucas' isn't a him…" at this the entire crew exclaimed in surprise; fearful, Jim clapped a hand over Carina's mouth to silence her dismay, "…I suspected it for awhile, but her and Hawkins' behavior confirmed it. She clearly let Hawkins in on her secret, and I doubt she'd have kept our plan from him had she known."

Suddenly, a blowing whistle and the cry of "planet-ho!" reached the ears of everyone in the galley. The crew's excitement over their arrival effectively quelled the argument about the young people, and Silver gave an inward sigh of relief as the crew streamed above decks without questioning him further.


	17. Mutiny and EscapeSort Of

**Mutiny and Escape…Sort Of**

Once the pirates had left, Jim released Morph in total despair. He couldn't believe that the man he had trusted and admired for over two months, who just last night had shown him the fatherly support he'd always wanted, was a pirate whose sole goal was hijacking the treasure. Carina had been right that something suspicious was going on, and he was an idiot for not listening. Shakily, the cabin boy climbed out of the barrel, rubbing his face and stumbling against the tables in a daze. It was only when the disguised girl also exited the barrel that Jim remembered Silver knew her secret, and neither of them were safe. She started to speak. "I'm so sorry Jim. I swear—" but Jim shook his head and grabbed her hand. "Come on, we gotta get out of here!" he urged while bolting towards the stairs, only to halt at the sudden appearance of Silver.

The cyborg had come back downstairs searching for his spyglass, and was quite surprised to see both cabin boys in the supposedly empty galley. "Jimbo, Lucas." Silver looked around carefully to see if anyone was watching him, then smiled as he moved down the stairs towards the scared-looking teenagers. "Playing games…" Silver held his mechanical arm behind his back, switching from his hand to a pistol, "…are we?"

At the man's advances Jim pulled Carina behind him protectively, and backed up until they were pressed against a table, searching frantically for a way out. Jim glared at Silver, his voice hard. "Yeah…yeah we're playing games." Realizing what the situation was, Silver rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Oh, I see. Well I was…never much good at games. Always hated to lose." Jim's heart skipped a beat and he felt Carina tremble as they heard the distinct click of a pistol being cocked; gripping her with his left hand, his right scrambled across the table behind them and lighted on a pair of sharp shears. Instantly, Jim lunged forward and plunged the shears into the air pocket of Silver's mechanical leg with a "Me too!" pulling Carina along as he sprinted up the stairs away from Silver's bellowing.

His right leg essentially useless, the cyborg laboriously hauled himself up the stairs, searching for the teens with his mechanical eye and swearing profusely. He located them in time to see Jim fling Carina into the Captain's stateroom and bolt the door behind them; with the game up Silver alerted his crew who immediately switched the flags and started ransacking the ship for weapons.

Captain Amelia, who had been bickering with Dr. Doppler, was understandably startled when Jim and Lucas burst into her stateroom shouting that the crew had turned on them, but she didn't waste time wondering about Lucas' involvement or lose her famous composure for a minute. "Pirates on my ship I'll see they all hang!" she growled while rifling through her personal store of laser guns. She casually flipped one to Dr. Doppler. "Doctor, familiar with these?" she asked while grabbing the treasure map. The doctor fumbled with the gun awkwardly, "Oh, I've seen…well, I've read about…" the captain pursed her lips as Dr. Doppler misfired and destroyed her lamp. He hung his head "Uh, no. No, no I'm not." Rolling her eyes, she turned back to the teens and tossed the map to Jim as the pirates started to cut the door down. "Mr. Hawkins, defend this with your life!" By the time Silver had blown the door apart with a grenade, Jim and the others had vanished down a hole in the floor.

The four, accompanied by Morph, ran through the belly of the ship to the longboats, Captain Amelia welding the door shut behind them with a laser gun just as the pirates were about to catch up. No sooner were the escapees in a longboat with the hatch opening then Morph stole the map from Jim's pocket. "Morph!" As the pirates entered the launch pad and kept the captain and the doctor busy firing, Jim and Carina leaped out of their boat in a desperate pursuit of the map. "Morph! Here! Morph!" Jim yelled. Once Silver arrived and got the hatch closing, he started whistling to the flying pink blob. "Morph, Morphy come here." Jim joined in the cajoling, "Morph, bring it here, Morph come here." The two continued sweetly entreating the blob while Carina tried to grab him, Morph ended the stalemate by diving into a pile of rope. Jim got there first, and as he sprinted away with the map in hand Silver couldn't bring himself to shoot him.

Instead, Silver gestured for his crew to grab Jim and the map. Though they failed to catch the boy they did get something for their efforts. As Captain Amelia released the longboat and Jim fell wildly towards it he heard Carina scream. Her cries mixed with Jim frantically yelling her name as he clung desperately to the rim of a longboat that was now plunging towards the planet below, leaving Carina behind on the Legacy.


	18. Trapped

**Trapped**

Carina sat with a bleeding arm on the floor of her dimly cell and tried to catch her breath as she wiped the tears off her cheeks. She and Scroop were the only people on the Legacy, the rest of the crew having descended to Treasure Planet hours ago in pursuit of the map. Silver had ordered Scroop to leave her alone, but Carina knew it was only a matter of time before the spider-psycho came to torture her. Tears sprang to her eyes again as she remembered the aftermath of the escape. The sound of Jim shouting for her had faded quickly, and Scroop had dragged her above decks in time to see the laser cannons score a hit on the small boat fleeing the scene. Upon seeing the explosion Carina had sunk to her knees in despair, uncaring of the claws ripping into her arm. She didn't see how even Jim could survive a landing with a ship blown to bits, if he wasn't dead already. As the hours dragged by she sat, captive and without hope, convinced that her solar flare was gone.

Jim paced back and forth on the floor of their hideout on Treasure Planet, the home of B.E.N (Bio Electronic Navigator), a deranged robot who'd befriended the trio and Morph after they'd crashed spectacularly in a giant mushroom jungle. It was a miracle they were alive, but Jim didn't feel blessed. He ran his hands through his brown hair angrily as he recalled the events of the past hour. They'd managed to land, but Captain Amelia was injured in the process and the map in Jim's pocket turned out to be Morph.While scouting, Jim had encountered the clingy and half-crazed robot with fragmented memories of the treasure, and they'd been hiding in his home since. The pirates were staked out in front of the dwelling, and Jim had just come back from a truce meeting with Silver that had gone sour.

The former cabin boy's blood boiled just thinking of his conversation with the cyborg. _He has some nerve telling me he didn't mean what he said in the galley_ , Jim thought. _Especially after all his talk of 'light coming off my sails' that night I thought I'd caused Arrow's death. Now I have to bring him the map by dawn or he'll kill us._ And Carina. He had to save Carina, if she wasn't already—no, he couldn't let himself think like that.

Jim's thoughts were interrupted by Captain Amelia, whose condition was worsening. "Gentlemen, we must…stay together and…" Kneeling on the floor, Dr. Doppler took off his glasses and hovered over her hysterically. "And what? We must stick together and WHAT?" Jim came over. "You've got to help her!" "Dammit Jim, I'm an astronomer, not a doctor, I mean I am a doctor—I have a doctorate but it's not the same _thing_ , you can't help people with a doctorate you just sit there and you're _useless_!" Patting his back awkwardly, Jim tried to reassure him, with B.E.N chiming in about all the great ideas 'Jimmy' had that would surely get them out of this mess. Attempting to swallow his fear, Jim went back to the edge of the building and looked at the pirates. "Without the map we're dead…" he muttered, "…if we try to leave we're dead—" Morph took up the chorus "We're dead! We're dead we're dead we're dead!" he sang.

Sensing the brown-haired boy needed some space to think, B.E.N whispered to Morph that he was just going to slip out the back door. Jim perked up instantly. "Back door?" he inquired, following B.E.N to a strange hump in the far corner of the room, which revealed the entrance to a highly mechanized chute that B.E.N claimed extended for miles within the planet. "Doc, hey Doc! I think I found a way out of here!" Seeing the boy's intention Dr. Doppler started to panic. "Now listen Jim, the captain ordered us to stick together and—" Jim clambered onto the mound, wind from the tunnel making his clothes and hair billow, "I'll be back!" and he jumped into the tunnel with B.E.N right behind him shouting "Cannonball!" "—woof" Dr. Doppler finished in defeat. _How in the Etherium was he going to fulfill the promise he'd made to Sarah Hawkins about keeping Jim safe?_

Carina didn't know how long she'd sat there, shivering, when she heard the scratching of Scroop's feet coming down the stairs. "Leave me alone. You've got me trapped, I'm not going anywhere" she spat. The spider-psycho ignored her as he unlocked and entered the cell. _The key_ , she thought dimly. _He left the key in the lock_. _If I could get around him_ —her thoughts stopped abruptly as Scroop gripped her injured arm. "Not bleeding anymore I ssee…now we can't have that." He chuckled darkly as he scrapped a claw down Carina's arm, making her squirm in pain as her wound reopened. "Silver, told you not…to hurt me" she managed to gasp while gripping his arm in a futile attempt to push him off. Scroop sneered. "That cyborg has gone sssoft, and now that he isn't around to defend his preciousss cabin _boy_ , " Carina's breathing halted as the spider alien brought his other claw up to her neck, "I am going to get rid of you as I should have monthss—"

A loud blast from the Legacy's alarm system cut Scroop's threat short, causing the two to look around in confusion. Growling "I'll be back!" Scroop dropped Carina and sprinted up the stairs, unfortunately remembering to lock her cell and take the key with him. Carina clutched her arm in a daze, with absolutely no idea what was happening. Within a few moments the blaring of the alarms stopped, but Scroop did not return. Though her cell was pretty dark, she could see enough to notice when the ship's light suddenly went out. Her attention obtained, Carina pressed herself against the bars of her cell in an attempt to discern the reason for these strange events, only to cry out as the lights returned and the artificial gravity left, making her float towards the ceiling. _Is the ship falling apart?_ She wondered.

As Carina tried to push the free-flowing hair out of her face, the silence of the Etherium was shattered again by the unmistakable bellowing of Scroop. Suddenly, her body felt heavy and she crashed to the floor as the artificial gravity returned, yelling when her injured arm connected with the hard wood. A moment later she heard faint footsteps, and fear gripped her at the thought of the spider-psycho returning. _Wait, did someone just whisper her name?_ Then it was quiet again, and Carina wondered if she'd imagined it.


	19. Reunion or: Jim (and Ben) to the Rescue

**Reunion, or Jim (and B.E.N) to the Rescue**

Carina jerked her head, this time she was _positive_ she'd heard footsteps. Unsure whether to be scared or relieved, she moved to the far corner of her cell and waited with baited breath. The sounds that were coming closer sounded more like metal than feet, _was Silver back already?_ Carina jumped when the figure spoke—its voice raspy, hushed, and one she'd never heard before. "Carina! That's her name right?" Before said girl could make up her mind about answering, she heard the distinctive and welcome babbling of Morph.

Just as Carina opened her mouth the figure spoke again. "Kinda creepy down here, heh heh. I don't know about you but I'm getting the heebie-jeebies. Well, if she's not here I don't know what we're going to tell Jimmy." Carina's heart leaped wildly, hardly daring to believe her ears as she called out shakily "J-Jim? Jim's here? He's alive?" She was momentarily blinded as Morph turned into a flashlight, then squealed in delight and came speeding over as he saw her. Carina giggled as the pink creature cooed and licked her face. In the dim light she could see that the mystery figure had reached the bars on her cell, and wasn't a person at all. Made entirely of rusted and grimy metal, it was clearly some kind of intelligent robot. As Carina tried to stand Morph left her side, flying out of the cell and to the lock, where he changed into a key. Morph got the lock open just as the robot shouted up the stairs, "Jimmy, she's here! We found her!"

Jim's nerves were nearly shot as he searched for Carina. He and B.E.N had popped out of the tunnels practically onto the pirates' laps, then proceeded to steal their longboat and return to the Legacy. They were discovered by Scroop almost immediately, thanks to B.E.N's inefficient process of disconnecting the laser cannons when he was supposed to be looking for Carina. Jim had managed to retrieve the real map, but Scroop had chased him all over the ship before he could find her. Now the spider-psycho was floating somewhere in the Etherium, and Jim was running as fast as he could towards the sound of B.E.N's shouting; hoping, praying, that his curly haired girl was alright.

Carina took a shaky breath as feet pounded and a second figure came crashing down the stairs, a familiar voice calling her name. Standing in the cell's entrance, his face lit up in pained relief, was Jim. So overjoyed were the teens at finding each other alive that for a moment neither moved. Suddenly, Carina felt Jim's arms around her, and tears coursed down her cheeks as she shook in his strong embrace, overwhelmed by the knowledge that he was here. "Jim…I s-saw the laser ball, I thought you…were dead, that they'd killed you…" she sobbed into his shoulder. Jim ceased rubbing her back and pulled away just enough to gaze into the beautiful face he feared he'd never see again. His own eyes spilled over in happiness and relief as he kissed Carina's forehead. "They nearly did; and then we didn't have a boat or the map…I was so afraid I wouldn't get here in time." His voice cracked. "But it would take a lot more than pirates to keep me away from you."

At Carina's smile Jim pulled her towards him again, only to be startled by the feeling of wetness on his hand. Horrified, Jim looked down and saw a long gash on her arm. "You're hurt!" Blue eyes blazing angrily, Jim turned to B.E.N. "We need to stop the bleeding, go down to the galley and get some bandages. Hurry." The robot saluted, "I'm on it, Captain Jimmy sir!" and left. Jim brought his attention back to Carina, fingers infinitely gentle as he examined her injury. "Jim, it can wait. We need to get out of here before Scroop comes back." Jim shook his head emphatically. "You're never going to have to worry about him again, thanks to that loss of gravity awhile ago. Your arm is _not_ going to wait, and 'rusty-bolts' needed something to do anyway. Now tell me if I'm hurting you" Jim commanded as he carefully ripped the sleeve away from her wound.

Carina was too preoccupied with gazing at Jim's face to comment. Jim must have noticed her silence, because once he'd removed the fabric he glanced up and his eyes softened at her tender expression. Carina couldn't stand it anymore; she put her hands on Jim's face and pressed her mouth to his, desperate to touch him. Jim's response was equally frantic; and as their lips met over and over they momentarily forgot about her arm, absorbed in the touch that promised "never again".


	20. Treasure Hunt

**Treasure Hunt—or Everything Goes Wrong Very Quickly**

Jim helped Carina and B.E.N out of the tunnel and into 's house, then ran jubilantly over to the boulder where the doctor and captain had been resting previously. "Doc, Doc wake up, I've got the map and Carina's alright!" Jim's heart turned to ice as a metal hand reached out of the darkness and wrapped around the treasure map, plucking it out of his hand. "Fine work Jimbo," Silver said smugly, "Fine work indeed."

Completely panicked, Jim instantly took in the captain and doctor bound and gagged, the circle of approaching pirates, and the terrified look on Carina's face; then grabbed her hand and attempted to dash out of there. Escape was futile however, as the pirates ripped Carina and Jim apart before they'd gone five paces, leaving Jim struggling furiously against his captors. "Carina!" Across the room he could see her lashing out as well, but she was pale and blood was seeping through the bandages on her arm. Enraged, Jim fought even harder, desperate to get to her when a solid blow to the gut sent him sprawling on the floor. Carina's cries were muffled as his ears rang, and Jim struggled to get a breath, let alone stand up.

Silver swaggered over. "Yer just like me Jimbo," he sneered in the teen's face, "yeh hates ta lose." Chuckling, Silver proceeded to open the map, or rather, tried to. Silver grew increasingly frustrated as his attempts to unlock what Jim had known for months failed, upon seeing this the teen shook his head condescendingly. Picking up on his smirk, Silver thrust the map at Jim and demanded that he open it, Jim's reply was a cold glare and curled lip. "I'd get busy," Silver suggested, cocking a pistol at Carina. Shaking her head frantically, Carina yelled "Jim, don't you dare—ah!" pain bringing the girl to her knees as her captor's grip on her injured arm tightened. Jim knew he was beaten, and without even looking he punched in the sequence and opened the map, sending out the trail of light that would lead them to the treasure.

Jim held Carina's hand tightly as they trailed Silver through the thick vegetation, guns pointed at their backs as they followed the light from the map. Morph quivered in Jim's pocket, and the boy's reassuring words did not match his internal despair. Silver had been all for tying them up then leaving them to pursue the treasure, and Jim had had to close the map to get Silver to change his mind. The pirates holding Carina had flung her at Jim; he'd barely managed to catch her and whisper, _"_ I'm sorry _."_ Gut aching and heart pounding in fear, Jim wanted nothing more than to protect her—but he'd never felt so helpless in his life. Jim was jerked out of his thoughts by B.E.N. "I, I don't know about you Jimmy, but I'm starting to see my life…pass in front of my eyes." The robot stopped walking and wrung his metal hands. "At least I think it's my life—WAS I EVER DANCING WITH AN ANDROID NAMED LUPE?" he demanded, as Jim tried desperately to silence him.

Silver grabbed Jim by the collar as he cut through one last swath of giant reeds, and suddenly they stood on a bare precipice. As everyone looked around completely perplexed the light from the map disappeared. "Where is it?" Silver rounded on Jim, but despite his best efforts he couldn't reopen the map. The pirates began complaining loudly. "I see nothing! One great big stinking heap of nothing!" Amid laments of following a boy and threats to rip him apart Jim was shoved to the ground, where he saw an indentation that matched the markings on the map. Without hesitation Jim plugged the hole with the map, light spreading outward as a globe-like holographic projection rose from the ground and an enormous triangle appeared behind it. Everyone's jaws dropped at the image within the triangle. "The lagoon nebula?" Jim wondered incredulously. Silver scratched his chin, "But that's, half-way across the galaxy!"

Jim stared at the holograph, which was covered in the stars and planets of the galaxy, and recalled B.E.N's nonsensical talk of a big door, opening and closing. Experimentally, Jim touched an icon and instantly the contents of the triangle changed. He pressed some more, then found the one for Montressor Spaceport. "So that's how Flint did it," he marveled, eagerly pressing icons and changing the triangle's image. "He used this, portal to roam the universe, stealing treasure!" Silver shoved Jim to the side "But where'd he stash it all?" he demanded, pressing the holograph frantically. Frowning, Jim remembered the other piece of apparent nonsense B.E.N had divulged. "Buried in the centroid of the mechanism." Jim's eyes suddenly grew wide with understanding. "What if the whole planet _is_ the mechanism, and the treasure is buried in the center of this planet!" Jim exclaimed excitedly. Silver waved his arms in exasperation and pressed icons at random, "And how in the blue-blazes are we supposed to get there!" Jim pushed the cyborg away, and put his finger on the icon for Treasure Planet. "Just, open the right door."


	21. The Loot of a Thousand Worlds

**The Loot of a Thousand Worlds**

Jim passed through the portal first, followed closely by Silver and the others. None of them noticed the faint pinging of an alarm as they entered the core of Treasure Planet. Instead, they gaped in wonder at the sight before them, followed by the pirates cheering and dashing off. Mountains of gold and precious jewels covered the entire surface of the core, which rotated slowly and was fueled by precise injections from over a dozen pistons each as long as the Legacy. _Jim was right about the entire planet being a machine_ , Carina thought incredulously as she struggled to believe what her eyes were telling her. And apparently the legend she and Jim had grown up on was actually true. There was more than enough treasure here to fill a hundred ships—and this was just what they could see.

Jim's eyes were also bugging out from the _unimaginable_ volume of loot, but his mind was working overtime on an escape. True, he and Carina could have snuck back through the portal to where Dr. Doppler and Captain Amelia were tied up, free them, and take the pirates' longboat back to the Legacy—but Jim wanted his share of that treasure. "You know," B.E.N said. "This is all seeming, very familiar…" Jim's gaze lighted on an old ship covered in treasure, and a quick head turn confirmed that Silver wasn't paying them any attention. "…but I can't remember why. " Jim took Carina's hand and gestured at B.E.N. "Come on, we're getting out of here and we're _not_ leaving empty handed" he said as they made their way towards the ship.

B.E.N was still very distressed. "Jimmy, but Jimmy…" the cabin boy helped Carina onto the ship and then both teens reached for the robot. "I can't tell you how frustrating this is Jimmy, there's something that's just, nagging at the back of my mind—ahh!" B.E.N shrieked as he was hoisted onto the deck only to behold a skeletal corpse. Carina put her hands over her mouth at the sight of the six-eyed, former pirate; a stunned Jim voicing all their thoughts. "Captain Flint?" "In the flesh!" B.E.N quivered. "Well, except for skin, organs, or anything that, that resembles flesh."

Full of curious revulsion, Jim approached the skeleton, which sat on a throne and still had remnants of pirate attire clinging to its bones. B.E.N wandered in the opposite direction, back to his paranoid rambling. "And you know it's so odd, there was something—horrible, that Flint didn't want anyone else to know but I, I can't remember what it was and—" A flash of light from the pistons illuminated the old pirate's hand, which Jim noticed was clutching a piece of metal. An idea forming, Jim ripped it out of the skeleton and glanced at the loose wires on B.E.N's head. "—oh a mind is a terrible thing to lose" the robot wailed. "B.E.N, I think I just found your mind." The former cabin boy walked over and grabbed the back of B.E.N's head. "Hold still!" Sure enough, the wires matched and the piece popped in perfectly, causing the robot to have quite the downloading experience. "Woah! Hello. You know, Jimmy I was just thinking…" Jim grinned as B.E.N's eyes grew wide, "…I was just _thinking_! Oh it's all coming back, all my memories!" he shouted jubilantly, "Right up until Flint pulled my memory circuit so that I could never tell anyone about his—BOOBY TRAP!"

B.E.N gulped, and the three explorers looked up in horror at the sound of an explosion, the pirates also glancing up from their crowns and jewels in alarm. "Speaking of which." B.E.N raced on, waving his arms, "Flint wanted to make sure that nobody could ever steal his treasure, so he rigged this entire planet to blow—HIGHER THAN A KALEPSIAN KITE!" he yelled as a piston detached from the main body of the planet and pierced the core, forming a rift of molten metal. The giant laser beam, which the piston had formerly guided with great precision, now blasted freely across the rotating core; cutting a chasm and causing the treasure to fall into a fiery abyss as the pirates ran screaming. B.E.N yanked frantically on the arm of Jim, who stood frozen in shock. "Run Jimmy! Run for your life!" Jim snapped to attention, sprinting to their dilapidated ship's control panel. "You go back with Carina and help the Captain and Doc," he ordered while flinging himself underneath the controls and starting to move wires. "If I'm not there in 5 minutes, leave with out me!" Carina chimed in. "He's right B.E.N, you need to go help them—" but B.E.N was having none of it. He grabbed the boy's feet and started to pull. "I am NOT leaving my buddy Jimmy!" he asserted as Jim emerged with two live wires in his hands and a world-class scowl on his face. If glares could kill, B.E.N would have been scrap metal. The robot faltered, "Uh, unless he looks at me, like that." He dropped Jim's feet, "Bye!" and took off.

Carina wasted no time in pressing buttons. She didn't have as much experience as her solar flare, thanks to her years at the stupid girls school, but she knew enough to boot up a small ship. A moment later Jim got out from underneath the controls, a look of irritation forming on his face when he realized Carina hadn't gone with B.E.N. He opened his mouth to argue, then thought better of it when the girl raised her eyebrows and extended her hand. "Cable please." Side by side their hands flew over the controls; Morph turning into various tools to perform quick fixes, desperate to make the ship flight-worthy before the place blew up entirely. Despite the peril of the situation, Carina couldn't help thinking this was just like when they had worked on something as kids, in perfect unison.

Carina cheered as the thrusters on their ship finally came to life, and Jim spun the helm to take them back through the portal. "Yes! Carina we are _so_ out of here!" Unfortunately, they had forgotten all about the pirates—that is until they heard a loud thump on the far end of the ship. "Ah, Jimbo!" Silver boomed as he advanced on the teens, "Aren't yeh the seventh wonder of the universe!" Carina lunged for the helm as said boy grabbed a sword lying on the deck and pointed it at Silver. "Get. Back." he snarled. The look on Silver's face was dark as he continued forward, making Jim step back. "I liked yeh lad. I liked ya both. But I've come too far to let yeh stand between me and me treasure." By now Jim had retreated so far that Carina was pinned between him and the wheel, and she knew he couldn't bring himself to hurt the old cyborg.

Her attention occupied by the standoff, Carina failed to see the laser beam coming towards them until it was too late. The ship lurched violently upon impact, flinging the occupants out of the ship and onto a nearby tower. Carina managed to halt her fall and cling to the flat metal, screaming as she watched Jim tumble off helplessly, grabbing the facing wall in a precarious hold a hundred feet above the river of molten metal. Silver somehow managed to keep ahold of the ship as he stood on the tower with Carina. Desperately she thrust a hand out to help Jim, even though she knew it was hopeless. Leaning over the edge, the girl yelled for Silver to help her, her fear mounting with every passing second as Silver hesitated. "Hold on Jim!" "I, I can't!" Jim lost his grip, plunging down another 15 feet as Silver looked longingly at the boat full of glorious treasure. Finally, just as Jim lost his hold for what would be the last time, Silver let go of the boat and swooped down, grabbing the cabin boy at the last second. Once their footing was secure the three looked up to see the boat and its golden cargo blasted to pieces.


	22. Escaping Treasure Planet

**Escaping Treasure Planet**

They leaped through the portal and back onto the surface of Treasure Planet, which shook from the force of the internal explosions. "Silver, you gave up th—" the cyborg brushed him off, though his voice betrayed the disappointment. "It's a lifelong obsession Jim. I'll get over it." Suddenly, B.E.N's voice sounded above them as the Legacy, piloted by the inexperienced Dr. Doppler, arrived to rescue them. Jim, Carina, and Silver hauled themselves aboard as the captain ordered B.E.N to get them out of there. Due to her injuries, Captain Amelia leaned against the mast while giving instructions to the doctor and robot—the remaining pirates having been thrown in the brig.

The explorers had hardly caught their breath when a large piece of metal—the planet's destruction process involved randomly raising and flinging huge sections and columns of metal—crashed into the mainmast and broke the top solar sail, causing the ship to slow down dramatically. B.E.N immediately started working the numbers, his metal fingers typing frantically. "Mizzen sail demobilized Captain, thrusters at only 30% of capacity!" As they realized the planet would explode completely before they could escape, Jim glanced back at the large triangle in the distance. "We've got to turn around!" he shouted while sprinting across the deck. "What!" Captain Amelia was completely flabbergasted. "There's a portal back there, it can get us out of here!" "One minute thirty-two seconds until planet's destruction!" B.E.N called out. Dr. Doppler, who was still steering the ship, decided to interject. "Pardon me, Jim, but didn't that portal open onto A RAGING INFERNO?" "Yes," Jim admitted, yanking a large board out of the deck. "But I'm gonna change that! I'm gonna open a different door!"

Carina realized what Jim was planning when he grabbed the rocket booster that had broken free from the Legacy, and both she and Silver raced to Jim's side amid Dr. Doppler's skeptical musings. As Silver quickly welded the pieces of the boy's makeshift solar surfer, Carina pleaded with Jim. "Don't do this alone. Let me go with you!" she insisted as Jim helped Silver lift the apparatus onto the ship's railing. "No!" "But Jim—" B.E.N's voice rang out again, "Fifty-eight seconds!" Quickly, Jim kissed Carina's forehead, leaped onto the makeshift solar surfer, and blasted off towards the portal before she could protest again. The curly haired girl watched him briefly, heart in her throat upon seeing the turns and dives he had to make to avoid collisions; then shook herself and raced to the Legacy's controls. Jim's superhuman efforts would be for nothing if they didn't catch up. As the doctor steered and B.E.N performed his calculations, Carina tested her knowledge to the limit, coaxing all the speed she could out of the battered ship. _Please let us make it_.

At 17 seconds her concentration was broken by Morph's shriek, and to Carina's horror they could see Jim falling down a crevice towards the inferno below. _He must have run out of fuel_. Just as the ship was passing over the rift, she saw Jim shoot upward and do a barrel roll, racing to reach the holograph before them. Carina wanted to melt with relief, but they were still far from safe and she had a ship to run.

At the last possible second, Jim touched the symbol for Montressor Spaceport, and the entire ship sailed through the portal just as Treasure Planet was demolished, destroying the map and the portal along with it. The doctor and Captain Amelia hugged, and everyone cheered at the top of their lungs as Jim flew around, slapped Silver's hand (Didn't I say the lad had greatness in him?) and landed spectacularly on the deck. Ready to burst with relief, Carina dashed over to Jim, giggling as he lifted her up and kissed her fiercely. Everything else faded away as the teens poured all the intensity and desperation of the past few hours into their kiss. Dr. Doppler's cough drew them apart, looking bemusedly at the expressions on the adults' faces.

Captain Amelia came over, as business-like as ever. "Unorthodox, but ludicrously effective," she said to Jim admiringly, before turning to Carina. "And you clearly have a real aptitude for running ships that I suspect you did not learn as a cabin boy, though now I see the term 'cabin girl' is more accurate. I'd be proud to recommend you both to the Interstellar Academy, they could use talented young people like you." Carina and Jim's jaws hit the deck, and amid their joyous exclamations and Dr. Doppler's pronouncement of telling Jim's mother everything—minus the life-threatening parts—Jim noticed that Silver had disappeared.

Jim found the cyborg hurriedly untying a longboat and explaining to Morph that they had to get out of there immediately. Leaning casually against a pillar, Jim commented, "You never give up, do you?" Startled, Silver looked up with a guilty expression and fumbled with the rope. "Jimbo…I was merely checking to make sure our last longboat was safe, and, secure" he faltered, tying the boat down with an extremely sloppy knot. "Hmm…" Jim came over and looked at the rope thoughtfully, then redid it properly. He gave the cyborg a knowing look. "That should hold it." Silver chuckled at his futile attempt to misguide the intelligent boy. "I taught ya too well. Now, if ya don't mind, we'd just as soon avoid prison a little longer for little Morphy here. He's, a free spirit! Being in a cage—would break his heart." Jim, of course, knew that Silver was really talking about himself. Despite everything that had happened he forgave Silver, and untied the boat with a smile.

Grinning, Silver put an arm around the cabin boy and urged him—and Carina—to come adventuring with him. Jim took off Morph-the-pirate-hat and tickled the blob. "You know, when I first got here I would have taken you up on that offer in a second. But uh, I met this old cyborg who reunited me with my best friend, and taught me that I could chart my own course…" Jim looked through the hatch at the Etherium glowing pink and orange below, "…that's what I'm going to do." Silver's voice was soft. "And what do ya see, off that, bow of yours?" Jim turned to look at the man with a smile. "A future." Silver gazed at him proudly. "Look at yeh, glowing like a solar fire. You're somethin' special Jim." Silver's voice caught in his throat, "You're gonna _rattle_ the stars you are."

Eyes full of tears, Jim fell into Silver's open arms and hugged the man who'd believed in and supported him as only a father could. Silver muttered some nonsense about grease in his eye as they parted, then they heard Carina's voice. "I figured I'd find you two down here." She stood in the doorway with a smirk, but Jim could tell she was trying not to cry. Silver walked over to her. "Am I right that yer real name is Carina, lass?" "Yes." "Can yeh forgive me, Carina?" Blinking furiously, she nodded. "Even if your intentions were less than noble, you taught me so much, and without you I doubt I'd have found Jim again" she smiled. Then they were hugging, and Morph literally dissolved into tears in Jim's hand, before floating off to joint Silver in the longboat. Looking at the two teenagers with their arms around each other and the subdued Morph, Silver made a decision. "Morphy. I've got a job for you. I want you to keep an eye on these, here pups. Can you do me that little favor?" After one last nuzzle, Morph left his former master to rub excitedly against Carina and Jim's faces.

As they watched Silver lowering the longboat he called up to them. "And one more thing." Fishing in his pocket, he tossed a handful of jewels and gold coins to Jim. "It's for yer dear mother, to rebuild that inn of hers" he winked. Jim called down, "Stay out of trouble, you old scalawag!" "Jimbo! When have I done otherwise?" And with a loud whoop Silver took of into the sparkling Etherium, the training of his cabin boys complete.


	23. Homecoming

**Homecoming**

As Jim and Carina worked double-time helping the Captain and Dr. Doppler land, secure, and unload the Legacy—which was a lot of work without a crew—Jim sent a message to his mother, who immediately caught the next sky ferry to the spaceport. Bursting with excitement and feeling like the whole Etherium was at his fingertips, Jim pulled Carina through the crowds. The curly haired girl thought it was adorable how eager Jim was to see his mother, and she herself was quite thrilled when they finally found Sarah Hawkins.

Carina sighed happily as Jim dashed to his mother, who turned around at the hand on her shoulder and exclaimed joyfully as she held her son. Morph, of course, had to interrupt and introduce himself, much to Sarah's surprise. Carina heard Jim tell his mother he had a surprise for her, then he turned back to Carina with the most proud and loving look on his face as he took her hand and drew her over. Sarah peered at the girl with a small frown, which soon changed to disbelief and delight. Carina barely had time to say hello before being crushed in Sarah's embrace. "Carina! Oh my dear girl, we missed you so much! You were on the ship with Jim? How—oh never mind, I'm just so glad you're both here!" The gray-eyed girl hugged her back, vision blurring at the warm welcome from the woman who'd always cared for her like a daughter. _I'm home_ , she thought as Sarah released her and Jim wrapped an arm around her waist as they made their way to the sky ferry. _I'm finally home_.

Since the Benbow Inn, and the Hawkins' home, was no more they went to Dr. Doppler's mansion; where Sarah had been staying during their voyage to Treasure Planet. The doctor met up with them not long after their arrival, having been occupied taking his leave of the captain. That first evening was a whirlwind of storytelling, making dinner, and preparing bedrooms. Jim and Carina took turns filling Sarah in on their voyage—with many interjections from Dr. Doppler. She was shocked to see the treasure and learn that the planet was indeed real, but ecstatic that she and Jim could have a home again. Sarah was extremely upset by the news of the mutiny and all the danger they faced at the end of their journey, though she listened attentively to Carina's tale of escaping from Endrane. She immediately invited the girl to live with them, to Jim's joy and Carina's relief.

As the excitement and adrenaline died down, the three explorers began to feel the exhaustion of the past few days. Soon, both Dr. Doppler and Sarah retired for the night, leaving Jim sitting on the couch holding Carina. He looked down at the curly-haired girl in his arms, who was gazing sleepily into the fireplace. She looked far better now that she'd been cleaned up and her wound re-bandaged, but Jim could tell she was highly fatigued—not that he was in much better shape. Jim's eyes stung thinking about how much danger Carina had been in, how many times he'd nearly lost her. He could hardly believe it had been less than a day since she'd been injured and trapped on the ship, they'd been held hostage by pirates, and nearly died multiple times before finally escaping the destruction of Treasure Planet. Of course Jim had been worried—terrified actually—while all this was happening, but he'd had to suppress his feelings somewhat just to survive the situation. For some stupid reason those emotions were crashing down on him now, even though they were safe and it was all over.

Carina must have sensed his distress, because she sat up and looked at Jim intently, making him turn away. "Jim, what's wrong?" He ran his hands through his hair, "It's dumb, I know it's all over but…it's just really hitting me how much danger we were in the last 24 hours, how—how many times I could have lost you" he confessed, tears welling up in his eyes. Jim felt Carina's small hands lift his face up, and he caught his breath at her loving expression. "Jim, there is no shame in that. I was so terrified, but we made it." She smoothed his hair and kissed his forehead gently. "You saved us, and you didn't lose me; I'm right here and I'm not planning on leaving. Okay?" Smiling shakily, Jim took her hands in his. "I'm glad at least one of us has their wits about them." Smirking, Carina leaned in and stated, "That's my job" and then she kissed him.

The room faded away as she took her time exploring Jim's mouth, holding him close and trying her best to reassure her solar flare. Carina knew that she was distracting him at least. After one last dizzyingly sweet kiss, she felt Jim rest his head on her shoulder with a relieved sigh as she attempted to catch her breath, arms still around him. "Thank you." Jim whispered against her shirt. Carina kissed his temple, and they drew apart enough to watch the flames as they sat on the couch.

Jim didn't know how long they'd sat in silence when Carina let out a huge yawn. Grinning, he suggested they get some sleep, but his smile faded once they'd climbed the stairs and reached the doors leading to their separate bedrooms. Pausing with his hand on the knob, Jim turned and looked at Carina. Though they hadn't actually shared a bed, for the past few months she'd been only an arm's reach away; and in light of everything that had happened the thought that he wouldn't be able to glance over and see her was distressing. _You're overreacting_ , he told himself sternly, _it's not like anything's going to happen, and you'll see her in the morning_. Quickly, Jim kissed her goodnight, entered his room, and got ready for bed; lying down with a sigh. As wonderful as a real bed felt, he'd rather be in a hammock next to Carina.

After tossing and turning for over an hour, Jim finally made up his mind and walked towards her door. He didn't care if Carina thought he was weak, he couldn't relax without her nearby, not after everything that had happened. He needed a safety net, just until he adjusted. Carefully, Jim opened her door a crack and called out quietly. "Jim?" she inquired sleepily. Stepping softly, Jim entered her room and closed the door behind him. "Carina, I…I can't sleep. You're so far away, please…" he faltered, unsure of how to ask. Carina teared up at how vulnerable Jim sounded, and was grateful that he could show his honest feelings around her. She pulled back the blankets. "I couldn't sleep either Jim, I'm used to seeing you in the hammock right across from me" she admitted. Relieved, he came over and slid into bed next to her; wrapping his arms around Carina as she smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. Soon Jim's eyes closed; and when they opened again it was to the glorious sun.

Jim took in the fading light as he stood in the beautiful gardens, listening to the music and laughter drifting down from the party in celebration of the new Benbow Inn, which he had helped to build. Since their return from Treasure Planet seven months ago, Jim's life had gotten better than he could have ever imagined. Captain Amelia kept her word, and both Jim and Carina had been accepted into the Interstellar Academy on full scholarship. Now that they were officially cadets, they would be leaving in two weeks to begin their training. His mother had a house and inn again, and B.E.N had decided to come live with her. The now-clean robot was thrilled to help Sarah in trade for all the socializing he could want.

Jim wandered up to the front door and gazed at the merry-making inside. His mother, who was wearing a new purple dress, looked happier than he had seen her in years; and she laughed along with the guests. B.E.N emerged from the kitchen with plates full of cake, passing them out before stopping to say hello to the Dopplers. Doc and Captain Amelia had gotten married shortly after their return from Treasure Planet, and now had four rambunctious infants who B.E.N adored. Jim scanned the crowd again, but didn't see any curly hair. He made his way inside to the cheers of the crowd, and stole his mother for a dance. Afterwards he stood in a corner clapping for the twirling couples, when movement on the stairs caught his eye.

Carina beamed at him as she descended, her sea-green gown contrasting magnificently with her shoulder-length dark curls. Stunned, Jim fumbled for words as she came over to him, so he kissed her first. "You are so beautiful," he breathed, taking her hands as she blushed slightly. "You clean up pretty nice yourself," she teased. The light-hearted comment did not match Carina's internal feelings, since breathing had gotten difficult when she'd come down the stairs and seen Jim in his suit. Smiling, he asked her for a dance, and with fingers laced the couple joined the celebrations, ready to dance the night away before sailing off into their glorious future.


	24. Epilogue

During their years at the Interstellar Academy Jim and Carina became some of the most brilliant students ever to train at the revered institution. The pair's familiarity with flying vessels became apparent to their professors early in their education; and their various talents did not go unnoticed. Jim's mapping and flying skills significantly outpaced his fellow students, and occasionally irritated professors when he used them in ways he wasn't meant to. From the beginning Carina was perfectly capable of handling all the complicated controls on the practice ships; and both of them proved to be total mechanical geniuses.

While they excelled academically, the two young cadets did get into a fair bit of trouble—usually solar-surfing on school grounds, in total defiance of the well-known rules. Jim's hot headedness got him into a few scrapes; but the other cadets quickly learned that the calmer Carina could usually reel him in before things got too out of hand. Despite the odd mishap, Jim and Carina graduated with honors and became the youngest couple ever to co-captain a ship for the Imperial Navy.

It was on the deck of their ship, as they returned from their very first mission, that Jim knelt and proposed to Carina. He told her that while he knew marriage wasn't always a breeze, he also knew that she made him whole and that he wanted to show her his love for the rest of their lives. Gray eyes filling with tears, Carina smiled as she gave the only possible answer and was immediately swept up in Jim's warm embrace. Once he had set her down, Jim pulled out a silver ring adorned with a shimmery opal and placed it on her finger. Until then, the cabin-boy-turned-captain hadn't told anyone he actually _had_ managed to save some treasure from that strange planet; when everyone had been gaping over the gold Jim had spied that ring and swiftly pocketed it, not even thinking really. He hadn't needed to.

They were married that summer on Montressor, in the beautiful gardens of the BenBow Inn. All of their Academy friends attended, along with Sarah and the Doppler family. And as a stunning Carina floated down the aisle in her long dress, she was accompanied by the one man she and Jim considered to be their father. Persistent as ever, the new captain had combed the galaxy to find Silver, who was beyond honored to escort her. The old cyborg had more grease in his eye than he would have liked to admit as he walked with Carina and then sat next to Sarah, watching the beaming young spacers exchange their vows; Morph and B.E.N sobbing as Jim dipped and kissed Carina Hawkins senseless, to the cheers of their family and friends.

And then their story _really_ started.

~.~


End file.
